Returning Home, Finding the Chamber
by Trucbiduleschouettes
Summary: Follow "Finding Home, Finding the Stone". After surviving their first year at Hogwarts, Harry and Rohini are once again facing troubles during their second year due to the opening of the mysterious Chamber of Secrets and the release of a dangerous monster that targets Muggleborns.
1. Chapter 1

Rohini Potter was a troublesome kid. Smart? Yes. A good student? One of the best. Getting on the Dursleys' nerves? Undoubtedly so.

The truth was, Rohini and her twin Harry Potter weren't normal pre-teens: they were two of the most famous wizards of their time after defeating Voldemort, a dark and powerful wizard who had murdered their parents when they were only one year old.

They were now students at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry but had to come back to Private Drive for the summer vacation, living with their aunt, uncle and cousin. Needless to say, they couldn't wait to go back to school. The Dursleys were horrible and extremely mean and there wasn't a single day that passed without an argument between the twins and their Uncle.

Today, it was about Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl. Uncle Vernon had been woken in the early hours of the morning by a loud, hooting noise.

"Third time this week!" he roared across the table as Rohini served breakfast. She and Harry were forced to do every house chores since they were old enough to hold a pan and a broom. "If you can't control that owl, it'll have to go!"

"She's bored," Harry tried to explain for the thousandth time this month. "She's used to flying around outside. If I could just let her out at night—"

"Do I look stupid?" snarled Uncle Vernon, turning purple. "I know what'll happen if that owl's let out." Rohini snorted.

"Oh, do you now?" She said, serving Harry some bacon. At least, the Dursleys had stopped letting her brother starve. It might have been because Rohini had threatened them to turn her cousin into a pig and eat him if they made Harry skip a single meal.

"Careful, young lady!" Uncle Vernon said, pointing one of his fat fingers at her. "You still live under my roof!"

Rohini clenched her teeth. He was right; none of them were happy about it, but Harry and she had nowhere else to go. It felt like torture: All their spell books, their wands, robes, and cauldrons had been locked in a cupboard under the stairs by Uncle Vernon as soon as they came back. What he didn't know was that Rohini had learnt to unlock doors without magic -a courtesy of Fred and George Weasley- and so Harry and she had been doing their homework in secret at night.

As she sat to eat her own breakfast, Thranduil jumped on her laps. Thranduil was her Siamese cat and a gift for her 11th birthday from Rubeus Hagrid, the kindest man Rohini had ever met. Aunt Petunia pinched her lips, hating the cat as much as Harry's owl. Rohini made sure to keep an eye contact with her as she fed Thranduil a piece of bacon. She swore she could have heard Aunt Petunia hiss.

"I should think you'd be a little more grateful. We've raised you since you were babies, given you the food off our table, even let you have Dudley's second bedroom, purely out of the goodness of our hearts." Uncle Vernon kept going and Rohini rolled her eyes. She was pretty sure the Dursleys had no hearts to begin with, let alone some kindness in them.

"They are just like them." Aunt Petunia said, referencing to Harry and Rohini's dead parents: Lily and James Potter.

"Freaks." Dudley said, eating his fourth slice of bacon.

"Say the fat butt that spent a whole week with a pig tail?" Rohini spat and her Uncle slammed the table with his hands, making everybody jolt. He looked like an angry, hairy frog and had pieces of scrambled eggs stuck in his moustache.

"ENOUGH." He shouted, looking like he was going to explode. "IN YOUR BEDROOM. NOW. YOU TOO." He added to Harry's attention. The twins hurried to go back to their bedroom, Thranduil hissing at Uncle Vernon before following Rohini upstairs. Rohini slammed the door, furious. Then she threw herself on her bed and screamed into her pillow.

She used to be able to endure the Dursleys' comments but a year at Hogwarts had changed her; she now knew what a real home felt like and came to realise that the Dursleys meant absolutely nothing to her.

"You shouldn't have said that." Harry told her and Rohini refused to look at him. "Dudley is an idiot, don't let him get to you."

"I hate them." Rohini said, her voice muffled by her pillow. "I hate them so much."

"I know." Harry sighed, sitting next to her. "I hate them too."

Truth was, they'd probably feel better if it wasn't for the fact they had no news from their friends. In a month, there had been not a single letter addressed to them. Rohini had tried to call Padma Patil, her best friend, but somehow the phone refused to work when she used it. Uncle Vernon refused to let them go to the post office in case their letters had been lost, which would have been odd anyway since wizards used owls to communicate.

"It's weird. I mean, even Hermione hadn't contact us and yet her parents are Muggles, she know how to use a phone, right?"

"Yeah." Harry said. "Maybe she'd lost our number." He suggested and Rohini scoffed.

"Hermione Granger? One of the most organised person I have ever met, losing something?" She pointed out. "Impossible."

"I don't know, then." Harry sighed. "We'll see them in a month, anyway."

"You're right. Can't wait to be back to Hogwarts." Rohini said, sitting up and scratching Thranduil's head. Harry and she had been sorted in two different houses: her brother was from the proud and brave house of Gryffindor and she was a Ravenclaw. "I wonder if they found a new professor for DADA."

Their previous Defense Against Dark Art teacher had in fact been one of Voldemort's supporters and tried to kill them at the end of the year. Harry and she had defeated him but Voldemort was still out there, lurking in the shadows and trying to regain his powers. Sometimes Rohini woke up after a nightmare, fearing that he was waiting outside, plotting their murder.

Xxx

"I know what day it is," Dudley said, eating an ice cream while watching Rohini put the dirty laundry into the machine. Rohini sighed.

"Good job, Dudley. Glad you finally learn the days of the week. Can you spell them though?" Rohini asked, not even looking at him.

"Today's your birthday," sneered Dudley. "But nobody thought about you, you didn't get a single gift. Even the freaks at your school hate you."

Rohini clenched her fists. Getting in a fight with her cousin would only lead to a severe punishment and today wasn't the day for it. She tried to ignore him, which only seemed to encourage him.

"I'm right then. You have no friends." Dudley kept going between two loud disgusting slurping noises.

"Oh, Dudley." Rohini said, smiling at him. "What if I told you my friends actually promised to visit me today and turn you into a rat?"

Her cousin frowned.

"You're lying." He said, though he didn't sound so sure of him. Rohini knew she shouldn't push her luck, but she couldn't help it.

"Yes, I am. Actually, they want to turn you into a pig. Much more fitting."

"MUUUUUUM!" howled Dudley, tripping over his feet as he dashed off the room. "MUUUUM!"

Rohini smiled until Uncle Vernon stood up at the doorstep, looking furious. Dudley was hiding behind him as well as Aunt Petunia. Rohini crossed her fingers and hoped Uncle Vernon will not get mad enough to set fire to her books and wand.

"Today will be the day I make the biggest deal of my career," said Uncle Vernon, his face now turning crimson as he grabbed Rohini by the shoulders and shook her like a rag doll. "And you, you dare to threaten my little Dudley!"

Uncle Vernon was talking about the stupid dinner party he and Aunt Petunia were organising that night; some rich builder and his wife were coming to dinner and Uncle Vernon was hoping to get a huge order from him.

"Let me go!" Rohini shouted, pushing him away. The portraits of Dudley that were in the room fell and the glass shattered into pieces, making the Dursleys scream. Rohini panicked; they weren't allowed to use magic outside of school or they'll risk to get expelled; she couldn't lose control now.

"Go to your room and don't come out until tomorrow. OUT!" Uncle Vernon ordered and Rohini ran upstairs and slammed the door shut. Harry, who had been reading one of Dudley's old book, jumped.

"What happened?" He asked with a frown but Rohini said nothing, slipping against the door and hiding her head in her arms. "Hey, are you ok?" Harry asked, sitting next to her. Rohini shook her head.

"No, I'm not." She said and her voice was trembling, as if she was on the verge of crying. "Dudley is right: it's our birthday but we didn't get a single card. They can't have forgotten us so easily!"

"I'm sure they have a good reason for not contacting us." Harry said, passing an arm around her shoulder. He used to be an inch shorter than her, but he was slightly taller now. "Maybe it's related to Voldemort: maybe they can't contact us in case he and his followers would track us."

"Oh, I didn't think about that…" Rohini said, sniffing and Harry smiled.

"Aren't you supposed to be the smart one?" He teased her.

"Yeah, I'm a shame to the Ravenclaw's reputation right now." Rohini chuckled, feeling slightly better. "I'm stuck in our room until tomorrow by the way. Glad to know I'll not have to play the mute niece during their stupid dinner party."

"I'm sure I'll not be allowed downstairs either." Harry said. As Rohini just said, the only time the Dursleys had let them stay with them when special guests were here, the twins had been forced to pretend they were mute to "avoid spreading nonsense".

Xxx

They were playing chess when they heard Uncle Vernon calling Harry downstairs. The boy groaned and Rohini grinned like a sly fox as she beat him once again.

"Checkmate." She said. "You really suck at chess, Harry."

"I'm sure you cheated." Harry grumbled and Rohini huffed.

"HARRY POTTER, GET DOWN NOW." Uncle Vernon shouted so loud the whole neighbourhood must have heard him. Sighing, Harry got downstairs and Rohini decided to do a new game against herself. Hedwig hooted and Rohini bit her lips. She was pretty sure she would be able to unlock her cage using a hair pin, but what if Uncle Vernon realised she had freed Harry's owl?

"Promise to be discreet." She told the bird who hooted twice. Slightly opening the door to make sure the Dursleys were still talking to Harry in the kitchen, she pulled out a box from under her bed where she kept diverse little thing such as an hair pin. It took her longer than unlocking the cupboard under the stair, but she finally succeeded. Hedwig began to hoot happily but Rohini shushed her. Then, she opened the window and looked at Hedwig.

"Please, come back soon, ok?" She whispered to the bird before stepping away to let her fly away. It was probably pretty risky, but Rohini was against animal cruelty and the owl had been kept in her cage for a whole month. Watching Hedwig disappear, Rohini silently hoped that she would come back with a letter from Ron, Hermione or Padma. She had reached the point where even a card from their archenemy Draco Malfoy would feel great and Merlin knew he was a real prick, always hiding behind his father's name.

Sighing, Rohini walked back to her bed and pulled out an old picture from her secret box. It had been taken eleven years ago and showed the Potters sitting on a bench in a park, Harry and Rohini on their parents' laps. She looked ridiculous, with a little ribbon in her short hair.

Harry and Rohini looked a lot like their father: same olive skin, same messy dark hair, and same poor eye sight. However, everybody could tell they had their mother's eyes, a beautiful shade of green. They looked so happy, on it. A perfect, loving family enjoying a sunny summer day. They probably didn't know that they will be murdered a few months later.

Rohini sighed. It was truly a morbid thought to have on her birthday. Putting the hair pin and the picture back into the box, she put in back under her bed and yelled; for the split of a second, she could have sworn she saw a pair of huge green eyes staring at her. She must have hallucinated for when she checked again, there was nothing more than a few spiders living under the bed.

"I'm getting crazy, great." Rohini grumbled, passing a nervous hand in her hair. She hadn't cut them in a year and it was now reaching her chin. She would have cut them herself again but Aunt Petunia had hidden every pair of scissors in Uncle Vernon's nightstand.

She had argued that it wasn't fair that Harry _did_ get a haircut (though his hair stayed as messy as ever) but Aunt Petunia gave her a lecture about "acting and looking like a proper lady". It was ridiculous; Rohini's body had begun to change and Rohini was growing more and more conscious about the fact she was, indeed, a girl.

It had been terribly embarrassing when she had woke up one morning three weeks ago with her pyjama pants stuck to her legs by blood. She had screamed, horrified for Aunt Petunia had never took the time to explain periods to her. She had heard a few older Ravenclaw girls talk about it, but Rohini had never thought it would happen so early. She found the concept horrifying: Bleeding because she wasn't pregnant? Of course she wasn't pregnant, she was only 12 years old!

Aunt Petunia had made her do every single house chores for a week when she heard Rohini complained that she'd rather be a boy. She had also thrown away Rohini's unique pairs of jeans and forced her to wear pink clothes or shirts with ugly flowery patterns.

Rohini heard voices outside and grimaced when she realised Uncle Vernon had decided to make Harry clean up his car and mown the lawn. She was tired of the Dursleys treating them like slaves. But as they pointed out oh so often, the twins had nowhere else to go.

Rohini waved at Harry before looking for something to do while she was stuck here alone. Looking into the pile of junks that used to belong to Dudley, she found an unused drawing pad and a few colour pens. Now, she wasn't really good at drawing but it sounded like a nice way to spend time. Using Thranduil as a model, she doodled her cat and added a little witch hat on his head. Then, she tried to draw Padma from memory. It wasn't really close to reality but she thought she'll give it to her friend when they will meet again.

Finally, she heard Harry's light footsteps in the stairs, followed by the bathroom door being locked and the shower running. Ten minutes later Harry came back, looking exhausted and smelling of vanilla.

"Where's Hedwig?" He asked with a frown. "Rohini, don't tell me you let her go!" He sounded panicked.

"Harry, she was going to die from boredom!" Rohini pointed out before the doorbell rang: the Masons were here and it was time for them to play dead. It would have probably been an easy thing if it wasn't for the little creature jumping out of their closet.

"Hello." It said with a little wave. "Nice to meet you, Mr and Miss Potter."

It took all of Rohini's self-control not to scream, her jaws dropping and her eyes wide open it shock. Merlin, things were taking a weird turn again.


	2. Chapter 2

Rohini blinked, twice. Then, she rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't dreaming but the creature was still here, now sitting on Harry's bed with a little smile. It wasn't bigger than a 4 years old child.

"You're a House Elf." Rohini finally managed to say. She had heard of those unfortunate creatures before. Wizard families had been using them as servants for centuries now. It was the first time she saw one, though. The little creature was extremely skinny and wore nothing more than a ragged dirty tunic. It had green huge eyes and long, pointy ears.

As the elf walked closer, Thranduil hissed and went hiding under Rohini's bed. It bowed so low that the end of its long, thin nose touched the carpet and the twins did the same, feeling kind of awkward.

"Rohini Potter is right. I'm Dobby, Miss, Dobby the house elf." Dobby had a funny little high pitched voice and Rohini somehow liked him instantly. It didn't seem to be the case of Harry, who looked extremely annoyed and kept glancing at the door.

"Not to be to be rude or anything, but this isn't a great time for us to have a house elf in our bedroom." Harry said and Dobby looked down.

"You're being rude." Rohini pointed out with a frown. "I'm sure Dobby came for a good reason. Am I right, Dobby?" She asked the little creature who gave her a shy smile.

"Yes, Miss." said Dobby earnestly. "Dobby has come to tell you, Mister Potter… it is difficult, sir… Dobby wonders where to begin…"

"Er, take a sit and begin by the beginning." Harry suggested and Dobby's eyes grew impossibly wider… and then the elf burst in loud tears. Panicked, the twins tried to calm him down, Harry awkwardly patting his shoulder and Rohini was offering him tissues but it seemed to only make him more emotional.

"Dobby, ssh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you, or anything." Harry said, looking helplessly at Rohini who kneeled next to Dobby and gently rubbed his back. He was so skinny she could feel his bones. Rohini wished she had some food to offer him.

"Offend Dobby? Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir, but never has he been asked to sit down by a wizard, like an equal."

"That's ridiculous." Rohini said. "House Elves should be treated better."

"You can't have met many decent wizards," said Harry, looking relieved that Dobby had finally stopped crying after blowing is long nose. Dobby shook his head. Then, without warning, he leapt up and started banging his head furiously on their desk, shouting, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

"Wow wow wow!" Rohini said, picking him up and sitting him on her bed, far away from the furniture. "It's ok Dobby, no need to hurt yourself. Please?"

"Dobby had to punish himself, Miss," said the elf, who had gone slightly cross-eyed. "Dobby almost spoke ill of his family, Miss…"

"Your family?" Harry asked.

"House Elves usually serves powerful Wizard families." Rohini explained to him. "I find it revolting personally."

"Can't you leave your family, Dobby?" Harry asked but Dobby shook his head.

"Dobby can't, Sir. Dobby is bonded to his family for ever, unless…"

"Unless?"

"Unless they offer him clothes." Rohini finished. "It's the rule: clothes for freedom. I wish we could help."

"Is there really no way?" Harry asked and Dobby looked at the twins as if they were the new Messiah. It was a bit odd; people stopped looking at them this way after a few months, back in Hogwarts. Dobby leaned toward Harry, his eyes wide as headlights.

"Dobby heard tell," he said hoarsely, "that Harry Potter met the Dark Lord for a second time, just weeks ago… that Harry Potter escaped yet again."

"I wasn't alone. Rohini was here too." Harry said and Rohini gave him a grateful smile. It wasn't the first time people tend to put Harry on a higher pedestal than her. The reason was probably that Voldemort had been defeated 12 years ago after trying to kill Harry first; if they were the Twins Who Lived, Rohini was somehow "less" impressive. Dobby gasped and took Rohini's hands.

"Ah! You two have braved so many dangers already! But Dobby has come to protect you and especially Mister Harry Potter, to warn him, even if Dobby does have to shut his ears in the oven door later… Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts." He said and the twins frowned.

"What?" Harry asked. "That's ridiculous. Hogwarts is our home! It's all that's keeping me going. You don't know what it's like here. I don't belong here." He said and Rohini could hear the pain in his voice. She felt the same as him; Private Drive wasn't and will never be their home. It was closer to being a jail, actually.

"Dobby," Rohini asked as softly as possible, "why should Harry stay here? Is something wrong at Hogwarts?"

"Harry Potter is too great, too good, to lose. If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger. There is a plot, a plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts this year," whispered Dobby, suddenly trembling all over. "Dobby has known it for months, Miss. They do not plan to harm you for they do not fear you but… Harry Potter must not put himself in peril. He is too important!"

The twins gulped. It was as if the air was colder now, their skin covered in goosebumps. The way Dobby talked about it, Harry was being targeted by a mortal danger once again.

"Dobby, if you know something, you should go and speak to Albus Dumbledore." Rohini said. "You must know that he's the most powerful wizard in the world; he will never let something happen to us and especially not to Harry."

Dobby made a funny choking noise and then banged his head frantically against the wall.

"I-can't!" He was saying and Harry grabbed him by the arms and pushed him into their closet right in time before Uncle Vernon opened their bedroom door, looking furious.

"What—the—devil—are—you—doing?" said Uncle Vernon through gritted teeth, his face horribly close to Harry's. "You've just ruined the punch line of my Japanese golfer joke!"

"It's racist and not funny anyway." Rohini pointed out and her Uncle threw her a nasty glance. She crossed her fingers that Dobby will not jump off the closet but thankfully the House Elf didn't get out until Uncle Vernon had stomped out of the room, shouting cheerfully to his guests' attention that the cat was just playing.

"See what it's like here?" Harry said as Dobby slipped out of the closet. "See why I've got to go back to Hogwarts? It's the only place I've got friends."

"Friends who don't even write to Harry Potter?" said Dobby slyly.

"I expect they've just been—wait a minute," said Harry, frowning. "How do you know my friends haven't been writing to me?"

Dobby shuffled his feet. Rohini could tell where the conversation was heading and she didn't like it in the slightest.

"Dobby, how did you stop our friends to send us letter?" Rohini asked and Dobby wept, hiding behind a chair.

"Dobby did what was best for Harry Potter." said the elf. He pulled a thick wad of envelopes from the inside of the pillowcase he was wearing. Dobby blinked anxiously up at Harry.

"Harry Potter mustn't be angry… Dobby hoped… if Harry Potter thought his friends had forgotten him… Harry Potter might not want to go back to school, sir…"

Rohini caught Harry right in time before her brother jumped on Dobby to strangle him. She could understand her brother's anger but she wouldn't be a good sister if she let him murder the pitiful elf. Rohini realised it was the second time in two years that somebody deprived them from getting their letters.

"Harry Potter will have them, sir, if he gives Dobby his word that he will not return to Hogwarts. Ah, sir, this is a danger you must not face! Say you won't go back, sir!"

"No," said Harry angrily. "Give me my friends' letters!"

"Then Harry Potter leaves Dobby no choice," said the elf sadly before darting out of the bedroom and sprinted down the stairs. Cursing, Rohini let go of Harry and they went after the elf, Rohini sliding down the stair ramp to avoid making the steps crack.

From the dining room Uncle Vernon was saying, "…tell Petunia that very funny story about those American plumbers, Mr. Mason. She's been dying to hear…"

They ran up the hall into the kitchen and Rohini froze: Dobby was looking at Aunt Petunia's beautifully made pudding. Judging by Dobby's smile, things were about to turn sour. The House Elf clapped his fingers and the mountain of cream and sugared violets began to levitate under the twins' horrified gaze.

"Dobby please, don't." Rohini begged.

"No," croaked Harry. "Please… they'll kill us…"

"Harry Potter must say he's not going back to school." Dobby said, shaking his head. The pudding was now making its way to the living room where the Dursleys and the Masons were. Harry went after it while Rohini tried to reason with Dobby.

"Dobby, please. I don't know what you fear will happen, but I'm sure we'll figure it out. Don't do that, please!" She tried but Dobby only gave her a tragic look.

"You don't understand, Miss. Dobby must do it, Miss for the sake of Harry Potter." Then he clapped his fingers once again and Rohini closed her eyes, grimacing, as she heard the pudding crash and Uncle Vernon's apologising, "I'm so sorry! It's my nephew- he's very disturbed. Meeting strangers upsets him. That's why I kept him upstairs!"

When Rohini opened her eyes again, Dobby had vanished. Decided to face the damage, she joined Harry in the living room and gulped when she realised the pudding had crashed on Madam Mason's head. Mr Mason stood up, followed by his wife who was holding his arm and left without a word. Uncle Vernon looked like he was ready to kill them on spot.

"You'll wish you two were never born!" He said and Rohini knew he wasn't lying. Deciding retreat was the wisest choice, she grabbed Harry by the arm and rushed upstairs were she locked the door with the key she had stolen from Aunt Petunia, worried it would not stay in place with Uncle Vernon pounding the other side of the door.

"OPEN THE DOOR." He was yelling, scaring Thranduil who hissed and hid in the closet that had been left open. "OPEN THE DOOR OR ELSE-"

As if things weren't bad enough, they heard Hedwig's screech on the other side of the window and Rohini hurried to let her in. She had a letter tied up to her leg, but it was neither a birthday card nor a letter from Hogwarts. It had Harry and Rohini's names on it.

"You should open it." Rohini said, nervous. Harry nodded and read it aloud.

"Dear _Mr. and Mrs Potter,_

 _We have received intelligence that a Hover Charm was used at your place of residence this evening at twelve minutes past nine._

 _As you know, underage wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside school, and further spell work on your part may lead to expulsion from said school (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C)._

 _We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Mafalda Hopkirk_

 _IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE_

 _Ministry of Magic_ "

The twins stayed quiet for a while, reading the letter again and again. Finally, Rohini spoke, furious.

"What kind of incompetence is that? How can they not know who perform magic tonight! We need to write back to them and explain what happen. It's a scandal!" She said, pacing the room. Harry was calmer, but only in appearance.

"We'll see tomorrow. Let's get to sleep for now, it was a tiring day." He said and Rohini agreed. They had trouble falling asleep that night, still remembering Dobby's warning. What did he fear so much to take such drastic measures to keep Harry away from Hogwarts?

Xxx

The following morning, Rohini woke up to the sound of an electric screwdriver. To the twins' horror, Uncle Vernon was fitting bars on their window. He gave them a nasty smile when he saw them watching.

"You will never return to your bloody school!" He told them, giggling maniacally. If Rohini thought their uncle madness' couldn't go further, she was wrong: right after lunch, he also added a cat-flap to the bedroom door, so that small amounts of food could be pushed inside three times a day. The twins weren't allowed to come downstairs anymore and it was a good thing there was a bathroom upstairs or else Rohini was pretty sure they wouldn't even be allowed to shower.

"It's taking abuse to the next level." Rohini said, biting her nails. They were sitting on her bed, looking at the bars that blocked their way to freedom. If it wasn't for the risk of being expelled, Rohini would have gotten rid of it and ran away with Harry, far away from this mad house.

"What would happen if we don't turn up at Hogwarts?" Harry asked her. "Do you think they will come and rescue us?"

"I'm sure Dumbledore will do something." Rohini assured him, though there was a tiny bit inside her that doubted it. "If he doesn't, then Wood will: he can't afford to lose his best seeker." She teased and Harry smiled for the first time in a week.

The room was growing dark. Hedwig was screeching, upset at being locked into her cage again. Thranduil was asleep on Rohini's laps, unfazed by all their troubles. Harry went to bed but Rohini didn't feel like sleeping. Instead, she picked up her _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ book that she was hiding under her pillow and read it again. However, she wasn't able to concentrate as Harry seemed to be having a bad dream and kept grunting and shifting in his sleep.

Closing her book, Rohini gently shook his shoulder and told him to wake up. Harry's green eyes finally opened and he seemed lost at first.

"You were having a bad dream." Rohini explained. "I thought it would be best to wake you up."

"Thanks." Harry said, sitting up with a groan. "Hey, can you hear that?" He asked, frowning. Rohini listened and realised there was an odd engine sound getting closer. Putting on their glasses, the twins stoop up closer to the window and gasped when a flying car appeared in the sky. Not only that, but it was driven by the mischievous Weasley Twins and Ron Weasley, Harry's best friend.

"Heya Harry. Hi Rohini." Ron said by the car's window, smiling. "Care to get a ride?"

The twins grinned; finally someone came to rescue them!


	3. Chapter 3

"Ron!" breathed Harry, pushing the window up so they could talk through the bars. "Fred! George!"

"Glad you still remember our names." Fred said with a wink. He was the one driving and Rohini was pretty sure he wasn't allowed to do so. Knowing the Weasley twins, doing something illegal wasn't something that preoccupied them though.

"Good to see you again." Rohini said with a smile, standing right behind Harry. "Care to explain how you're gonna help us without using magic?"

"Dad said you'd got an official warning for using magic in front of Muggles. Is that true?" Ron asked while throwing a rope with a hook at the end to Harry. "Put that around the bars."

"It wasn't us. It was- never mind. How did he know that?" Harry asked while Rohini checked that the rope was strong enough by pulling on it.

"He works for the Ministry," said Ron. "Why didn't you answer my letters? Hermione said she didn't get any news from you either."

"Again, it's complicated." Harry said, nervously glancing at the door as if the Dursleys were going to erupt into the room armed to the teeth. "If the Dursleys wake up, we're dead." he pointed out as Fred revved up the car.

"Don't worry," said Fred, "and stand back."

Rohini and Harry moved back into the shadows next to Hedwig who was staring at the scene with her head tilted. Thranduil was now in Rohini's arms, his tail nervously yanking. The car revved louder and louder and suddenly, with a crunching noise, the bars were pulled clean out of the window as Fred drove straight up in the air.

"POTTERS!" They heard Uncle Vernon scream from his room. Fred reversed as close as possible to the window and Ron opened the door.

"Hurry up!"

"But all my Hogwarts stuff!" Harry said, panicked. "We only have our wands!"

"We'll deal with that later; we need to get out of there alive first!" Rohini reminded him, passing Thranduil to Ron and pushing Hedwig's cage into Harry's hands. "Get in, hurry!"

Harry got inside the old blue car right in time as Uncle Vernon slammed into the door that crashed open. For a split second, he stood in the doorway; then he let out a bellow like an angry bull and Rohini jumped inside the car, pulling the window shut right on Uncle Vernon's fat fingers.

"AAAAAARGGG!" He yelled in pain as the car flew away. The Weasleys roared with laughter and the Potters settled back in the backseat, grinning from ear to ear. Ron had grown up a lot and he and the twins didn't have much space to sit in the back.

"Let Hedwig out," Harry told Ron. "She can fly behind us."

"So—what's the story, Harry?" said Ron impatiently. "What's been happening?"

Harry told them all about Dobby and the warning he'd given Harry and about the fiasco of the violet pudding. Rohini wasn't listening, too distracted by the fact they were finally escaping Private Drive. She had been dreaming of a thousand ways to run away, but flying away in a magic car wasn't one of them.

"Where are we heading?" She asked as they flew across the Thames. The river was shining under the moonlight and it was absolutely beautiful.

"To our place." George told her. "I reckon dad would want his car back."

"I'm sure he'll be delighted that this old thing can actually fly without crashing." Ron said.

"Careful, Ronald; we're not home yet." Fred said, winking at Rohini through the inner rear mirror. Rohini smiled back before yawning. George gave her an old handmade plaid and told her she should get some sleep. Rocked by the car's moves and noises, Rohini finally fell asleep, drooling on Harry's shoulder.

"Touchdown!" Fred yelled half an hour later, making her jump wide awake. With a slight bump, they hit the ground. They had landed next to a tumbledown garage in a small yard and the Potter twins gasped, amazed, as they discovered the Weasleys' house.

It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several feet high and so crooked it looked as though it would collapse as soon as the wind would rise. Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read THE BURROW. Around the front door lay a jumble of rubber boots and a very rusty cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard and Rohini giggled when Thranduil jumped out of the car to run after them.

The Weasley boys suddenly looked less enthusiastic, whispering as they entered the house. Rohini wished she had three more pair of eyes to be able to stare at every little detail. It was the cosiest and most welcoming house she had ever seen.

There was a scrubbed wooden table in the middle of the cramped living room, surrounded by different coloured chairs and armchairs covered in old fashion patterns and many shelves with second hand books stacked on it. There was a chimney too, which hadn't been lit yet.

The clock in the kitchen had no numbers at all. Written around the edge were things like Time to make tea, Time to feed the chickens, and You're late. There were spoons with each Weasley family member picture stick to them that replaced the traditional clock hands. As soon as the Weasleys stepped in, their spoons shifted to the "At Home" note.

"It's not much," said Ron, eating a _pain au chocolat_ , "but it's our home."

"This is the most fantastic house I've ever seen." Rohini said with stars in her eyes. "Can your mum adopt us?"

Just as she spoke, Mrs. Weasley came down the stairs and to a halt in front of them, her hands on her hips, staring from one guilty face to the next. She was wearing a flowered apron with a wand sticking out of the pocket and looked quite furious. Harry and Rohini looked at each other, not sure of what to do.

"Beds empty! No note! Car and boys gone! Have you any idea how worried I've been?" Then she turned to the Potter twins with a charming smile as if to reassure them. "Of course I'm not blaming you dearies."

"Mom, they were starving them! They put bars to their window!"

"You're lucky if I don't put bars to your window, Ronald Weasley!" Molly threated him, pointing a menacing finger to his face. Ron gulped loudly.

"I'm sorry, Madam Weasley." Rohini said. "Please don't blame them, they really saved us."

Mrs. Weasley's features softened and she sighed. Rohini saw Fred and George wiping the sweat of their forehead behind their mother's back.

"Aw, poor little things." Mrs. Weasley said gently, pinching Rohini's cheek affectuously. "You do look a bit thin. Here, I'll make you some breakfast. You too Harry, my dear. Please, sit!"

Mrs. Weasley clattered around for the next five minutes, cooking breakfast a little haphazardly, throwing dirty looks at her sons as she threw sausages into the frying pan and muttering to herself about the stupidity of teenage boys.

"Never got that kind of problem with Bill or Charlie. Why can't you be more like Percy, tell me!" She was mumbling as she made plates fly and land on the table with a wave of her wand. Rohini saw that the dirty dishes were also cleaning themselves and she thought it would be handy for them if they could use those spells at the Dursleys' place to do the house chores.

"Do you need some help, Madam Weasley?" Rohini asked politely and Mrs Weasley declined before serving Harry and she their breakfast. Rohini realised she was starving when the delicious smell of fried sausages and scrambled eggs reached her nostrils. She noticed that she and Harry got a bigger share than Ron, Fred and George and felt a bit sorry for the boys.

"It's delicious, Madam Weasley." She said earnestly with her mouth still full. Mrs. Weasley blushed at the compliment and was going to say something when Percy joined them. The twins grunted and whispered to Rohini about how annoying their brother had been. Percy was a prefect at Hogwarts and a bit too serious. He politely shook hands with Harry and Rohini before sitting in front of his own plate.

"Mum, have you seen my-" a small, redheaded figure in a long nightdress began to say from the stairs when she saw the Potter twins. Frozen, her eyes opened wide in shock before she ran and hid upstairs, making her brothers snort.

"Ginny," said Ron in an undertone to Harry. "She's been talking about you all summer."

"Talk about having a crush." Fred told Rohini who smiled. She never thought about the possibility that people would have a crush on them; until they came to Hogwarts, children would side up with Dudley and his gang to turn their lives into a living hell and nobody would fell in love with the tiny, skinny twins.

Things were a bit different since they were at Hogwarts; a few students had been looking at them with adoration, but it was more of a "fan like" attitude. Rohini highly doubted somebody would seriously fall for her.

Just then, the front door slammed and Mr. Weasley came in, kissing Mrs. Weasley before sitting in front of a plate with a sigh. He was a large man, going bald, but the little hair he had was as red as any of his children's. He was wearing long brown robes, which were dusty and travel-worn. He didn't seem to notice the Potters presence until his wife told him about their sons' misbehaviour. Rohini and Harry smiled as Mr. Weasley was clearly not upset, on the contrary; he seemed absolutely delighted that the car flew properly.

He looked around, saw the twins, and jumped.

"Good lord, is it Harry Potter? And you must be Rohini! Very pleased to meet you, Ron's told us so much about you."

"Nice to meet you too." The twins said. They talked a bit about Harry's role as a seeker for the Gryffindor's team and what Rohini's opinion about different Muggles items was. He promised to go get Harry and Rohini's stuffs during the afternoon, excited as he was to be able to meet the Dursleys. Rohini tried to warn him that they weren't the most pleasant Muggles ever but it didn't seem to bother Arthur Weasley.

"Come on, I'll show you my bedroom." Ron suggested and the twins followed after him.

They slipped out of the kitchen and down a narrow passageway to an uneven staircase, which wound its way, zigzagging up through the house. On the third landing, a door stood ajar. Harry just caught sight of a pair of bright brown eyes staring at him before it closed with a snap.

"Ginny," said Ron. "I think you'll have to share her room for now Rohini, since you're a girl and all…"

"It's ok." Rohini promised. "I just hope it will not bother her."

"She'll probably ask you all sort of stuff about Harry." Ron sighed and Harry blushed, embarrassed. "Here we are."

They reached a door with peeling paint and a small plaque on it, saying RONALD'S ROOM. They all stepped in, the boys' head almost touching the sloping ceiling. Rohini felt like she just entered a giant pumpkin; Everything in Ron's room seemed to be a violent shade of orange: the bedspread, the walls, even the ceiling. Blinking to get used to the flashy colour, Rohini realised every free inches of the walls were covered by posters of Quidditch players.

"Your Quidditch team?" said Harry. Unlike Rohini, he was totally in his element.

"The Chudley Cannons," said Ron, pointing at the orange bedspread, which was emblazoned with two giant black C's and a speeding cannonball. "Ninth in the league."

The boys began to talk about the team and Rohini leave them alone, stepping into a corner of the room where Scabbers, Ron's old rat, was asleep on a pile of spell books and comics. Looking by the window, she realised there wasn't a single house around, only fields. It felt peaceful, somehow.

"I'm right underneath the ghoul in the attic; he's always banging on the pipes and groaning…" Ron warned Harry who looked just as merry as Rohini.

"This is wonderful." He said and Ron blushed, turning into a radish.

Xxx

The Weasleys' house burst with the strange and unexpected. The ghoul in the attic howled and dropped pipes whenever he felt things were getting too quiet, and small explosions from Fred and George's bedroom were considered perfectly normal. Everybody there seemed to like the Potters, not because they were the Twins Who Lived but as if they were part of the family.

Ginny's room was less flashy than Ron's and Rohini was grateful for that, for she would have never been able to fall asleep in a fluorescent room. It was a bit messy but tidy enough to find what you were looking for easily.

Mr Weasley hadn't lied and came back the same day with Harry and Rohini's trunks, though he didn't seem as enthusiastic about the Dursleys now that he had saw how truly awful they were.

The Potters had helped the Weasley boys to get rid of the gnomes by throwing them as far away as possible, though they all came back while they were eating dinner. Rohini wished Mrs Weasley would let her help with the house chores to thank her for her hospitality, but Molly always refused politely.

Mr. Weasley liked Harry to sit next to him at the dinner table so that he could bombard him with questions about life with Muggles, asking him to explain how things like plugs and the postal service worked.

"Fascinating!" he would always said.

Hogwarts' letters arrived one sunny morning during breakfast. They were all sitting around the table, Ginny as red as a tomato for she had accidentally stepped into a topless Harry who had forgotten to lock the bathroom door. Rohini felt a bit sorry for Ginny; it was a shame that she was so shy when around Harry for she truly was an interesting girl. They spent evenings talking about magical creatures and what Ginny will learn during her first year at Hogwarts. Rohini was also dropping a few random information about Harry, such as the foods he liked and the fact he wasn't good at chess.

"Letters from school," said Mr. Weasley, passing them identical envelopes of yellowish parchment, addressed in green ink. "Dumbledore already knows you're here. Doesn't miss a trick, that man. You two've got them, too," he added, as Fred and George ambled in, still in their pajamas and yawning loudly.

For a few minutes there was silence as they all read their letters. They had to take the Hogwarts Express as usual from King's Cross station on September first. There was also a list of the new books needed for the year.

"Did they found a new teacher for Defense Against Dark Arts?" Rohini asked, remembering Professor Quirrell. Hopefully the new staff member will not try to murder them as soon as they reached the castle. She remembered Dobby's words and shivered.

Fred, who had finished his own list, peered over at Harry's.

"You've been told to get all Lockhart's books, too!" he said. "The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan—bet it's a witch."

Rohini rolled her eyes. She had heard about Lockhart; he was apparently a charming but narcissist man who swoon witches (and a few wizards) off their feet with just a smile.

"That lot won't come cheap," said George, with a quick look at his parents. "Lockhart's books are really expensive…"

"Well, we'll manage," said Mrs. Weasley, but she looked worried. "I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things secondhand."

"I can give you mine if you want?" Rohini asked. "My books, I mean. We need new volumes this year, so…"

"That's sweet of you dear, but don't worry about it." Mrs Weasley said, gently pinching Rohini's cheek. It seemed to be something she did a lot, as if Rohini was her own daughter. Rohini liked the sound of it.

"What are you gonna do, today?" Rohini asked the boys. "Gonna train again?"

Harry, Ron, Fred, and George often went up the hill to a small paddock the Weasleys owned. It was surrounded by trees, meaning that they could practice Quidditch there, as long as they didn't fly too high. They threw apples for one another to catch and took turns riding Harry's Nimbus Two Thousand. Rohini and Ginny joined them sometimes and they were all pleasantly surprise to realise Ginny was actually really good at flying.

"Dunno how Mum and Dad are going to afford all our school stuff this year," said George as soon as they were out of the house. "Five sets of Lockhart books! And Ginny needs robes and a wand and everything…"

Rohini could only understand the Weasleys' struggle; until last year when they discovered the fortune their parents left them after their death, she and Harry had never owned more than 50 cents in eleven years of living with the Dursleys.

When they came back two hours later, all sweaty and grinning, Mrs Weasley told them Hermione had send them a letter. Their friend was doing well, spending her free time studying which seemed to horrify Ron. She told them that she was going to Diagon Alley the next week and Mrs Weasley said they will go buy their supplies at the same time.

Rohini was also delighted when she got a letter from Padma who told her she heard rumours about Rohini and Harry being held hostages by their family and telling her she couldn't wait to meet her. Rohini hurried to send her an answer, explaining quickly that she was ok now and that she missed Padma a lot.

Xxx

Mrs. Weasley woke them all early the following Wednesday. After a quick half a dozen bacon sandwiches each, they pulled on their coats and Mrs. Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside.

"We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy some more today… Ah well, guests first! After you, Rohini dear!"

And she offered her the flowerpot. Rohini blinked, glanced at Harry who seemed as equally confused and looked back at Mrs Weasley.

"They've never travelled by Floo powder," said Ron suddenly, saving the twins from further embarrassment.

"Never?" said Mrs. Weasley. "Well, Fred, go first." She said, waving at her son.

Fred took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the chimney, and shouted "Diagon Alley!" before throwing the powder into a cloud of dust. With a roar, emerald green flames rose higher than Fred, who simply vanished.

"You must speak clearly, dear," Mrs. Weasley told Rohini as she dipped her hand into the flowerpot. "Now, when you get into the fire, say where you're going—"

"And keep your elbows tucked in," Ron advised.

"And your eyes shut," added Mrs. Weasley. "The soot—"

"Don't fidget," said Ron. "Or you might well fall out of the wrong fireplace—"

"But don't panic and get out too early; wait until you see Fred."

"Good luck." Finally said Ginny and Rohini nodded, glancing one last time at Harry before shouting: "Diagon Alley!" and scattering the powder into the chimney.

It felt as though she was an ant getting swallowed by a vacuum machine. She felt her stomach twisting painfully as she was spinning very fast, her eyes closed and he mouth clenched to hold back a scream. Finally it all came to an end and she stumbled, falling into Fred's arms.

"How was it?" He asked her with a smile but Rohini couldn't answer, fearing to be sick if she did. Fred leaded her outside so she could breathe some fresh air. The sun blinded her for a few seconds, and then she was drowning into the noises of conversations and laugher.

"Welcome back," Fred said with a smile, "To Diagon Alley."

For the first time in months, Rohini felt like she was coming back home.


	4. Chapter 4

Rohini was glad to realise she wasn't as scared as being in a crowd as she was one year ago. Sure, she still felt uncomfortable and she didn't miss the few amazed glances threw in her direction, but it wasn't the strong repulsion she used to feel.

The rest of the Weasleys left the shop and Rohini looked around, puzzled when she didn't see Harry. It was Mr Weasley who finally told her Harry got nervous and stuttered. Rohini felt instantly more worried, wondering where her brother had ended up.

"What if he's on the other side of the country?" She said. "Can you imagine? What if he ends up at the Malfoys mansion? Oh god, they're going to turn him into a teapot." She moaned but Mrs Weasley assured her he couldn't be that far.

"It happened to Bill on his first time." She told Rohini. "He ended up in the next Alley."

"Rohini!" Said a familiar voice behind her. Rohini gasped and jumped into Hagrid's arms. "'t's good to see yeh! How've yeh been?"

"Hagrid! I'm so happy to see you again!" Rohini said with a bright smile; Hagrid was an extremely tall and broad man with a golden heart. He was the one who told the twins that they were wizards and took them away from the Dursleys on their eleventh birthday. He was also the one who bought Hedwig and Thranduil for the twins as a birthday gift. Rohini was pretty sure there was no kindest man in the world.

The Weasleys told him about how they ended up losing Harry and Hagrid promised to go look after him. He had just vanished from Rohini's sight than a new familiar face appeared; Hermione Granger was waving at them, her parents standing behind her and smiling too. The Grangers were Muggles and very accepting of the Wizardly world. Mr Weasley was absolutely delighted to meet them.

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked, looking around. "He didn't get into troubles again, did he?"

"He did." Rohini sighed before explaining the situation to Hermione who shook her head. "How was your summer vacation?"

"Really nice! We went to see my mum's family next to the Black Mountains in Wales. It was lovely! I hope you two didn't forget to do your homework." She said seriously, though it was obvious she was targeting Ron for Rohini was quite a studious person.

"Yep, all done." Rohini said proudly and Ron looked away, whistling. They heard someone shout their names and cheered loudly when they saw Harry standing right next to Hagrid. Rohini jumped into her brother's arms, messing up his hair and scolding him for being so careless.

"Look at you! How did you manage to get that dirty? And your glasses!"

"Sorry mum." Harry said dryly, making their friends chuckle. Rohini rolled her eyes and pointed her wand at her brother's face.

" _Oculus Reparo_." She said. "There, as good as new. Come now, we don't have all day!"

"Harry! Oh thanks Merlin you're all right!" Mrs. Weasley now came galloping into view, her handbag swinging wildly in one hand, Ginny just clinging onto the other.

"Well, gotta be off," said Hagrid, who was having his hand wrung by Mrs. Weasley for finding Harry. "See yer at Hogwarts!" And he strode away, head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street. As they climbed the steps to Gringotts, Harry told them about what he had witnessed in a shop called _Borgin and Burkes_.

"Malfoy's father sounds just as horrible as I'd expected." Rohini said grimly. "I'm glad I wasn't here."

"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" asked Mr. Weasley. It was obvious he despised Mr. Malfoy as much as the wizard despised him. His mood changed when he saw the Grangers exchanging Muggles money for Wizards one. Mrs Weasley decided to leave him behind with Hermione's parents and went instead to a Goblin sitting behind a desk, asking to be led to their vault.

The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped through the bank's underground tunnels. Rohini wasn't fond of those rides but Harry seemed to enjoy it. When the goblin opened the Weasleys' vault, the twins politely looked away from the very small pile of silver Sickles and gold Galleon inside. It only got worse when the Potters' vault opened to reveal the numerous piles of golds inside. Rohini wished she could share them with the Weasleys for they needed it more than the twins.

Back outside on the marble steps, they all separated. The twins, Ron and Hermione decided to go for an ice cream, Rohini and Ron getting into a silly argument about which flavour was the best: pumpkin pie or Butterbeer?

"I tell you Ron, there's nothing more authentic than the taste of a deliciously Pumpkin pie." Rohini told him as they headed to _Flourish and Blotts_ were they were supposed to meet the rest of the Weasleys and Hermione's parents. As they approached it, they saw a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:

 **GILDEROY LOCKHART will be signing copies of his autobiography MAGICAL ME, today 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.**

"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"

"What, you actually like him?" Ron asked and Hermione blushed, ignoring him. "I'm so disappointed in you, Hermione."

The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs. Weasley's age. Rohini found it a bit ridiculous but hey, to everybody their own interest. A long queue wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books.

He was surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing lavender robes that exactly matched his eyes; he also had ridiculously luscious wavy hair. Rohini thought he looked fresh out of a Muggle commercial for toothpaste.

They each grabbed a copy of _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2_ and sneaked up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

"Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley. She kept patting her hair, giggling like a school girl. "We'll be able to see him in a minute…"

A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.

"Out of the way, there," he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet—"

"Big deal," said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it. Rohini gently patted his shoulder and gulped when Lockhart looked up and stared in amazement.

"It can't be the Potter twins?" He said loud enough for everybody to hear him. Rohini internally curse as the witches around them began to whisper excitedly.

"The Potters? Come over!" The photographer said, pushing Harry forwards and trying to do the same with Rohini but she walked away with a grimace, refusing to be part of this. Harry's face burned as Lockhart shook his hand and then put an arm around his shoulders with one of this ridiculous smile, the photographer taking pictures of them under every angle.

Smiling apologetically at her brother, Rohini headed back to the entrance of the shop. She felt a bit overwhelmed suddenly, the whole crowded shop feeling way too warm and slightly reeking of sweat. It was impossible to get out though for there were still more and more witches coming in and so she aimed for the stairs. To her displeasure, she saw Draco Malfoy standing a few steps away, tearing off a page from a book.

"Hey, you can't do that Malfoy!" She shouted angrily, standing in front of the boy. Malfoy was way taller than her now and she felt even more furious about it. He must have realised it too, for he smirked, looking down his pointy nose at her.

"And what are you going to do about it, Potter? Cry and ask your fans to handcuff me?" He said, nodding at the crowd downstairs. "Bet you loved that, all the attention. Though again, Harry Potter is the most notorious one, again."

"I honestly don't give two Galleons about fame, Malfoy." Rohini spat. "Unlike some, I don't need to hide behind names; I can act by myself."

Malfoy lost his smirk and Rohini raised her chin, defiant. The boy pushed her away and got downstairs, apparently decided to spit his venom to Harry's face now that her brother was heading outside. Rohini picked up the book Malfoy had been holding a minute ago, and frowned. Why did he tear a page off _Most Macabre Monstrosities_? She went through the pages and spotted the missing one. Going back to the index, she realised Malfoy had teared off the page about Basilisks. What was he thinking? Rohini was pretty sure it was suspicious.

She looked down and frowned; there seemed to be an altercation between Mr. Weasley and a man that could only be Lucius Malfoy. Rohini came down and stood up behind Harry, staring at the tall man.

"Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?" Mr. Malfoy was saying and Mr. Weasley turned red, obviously furious.

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said.

"Clearly," said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley… and I thought your family could sink no lower—"

"Funny thought." Rohini said loud enough for him to hear her. "I'm pretty sure someone who used to follow Voldemort would be aware that he's the biggest disgrace here."

Mr. Malfoy's eyes fell on her and Rohini could tell that under his apparent calm, he was boiling inside. Draco took a step closer but his father stopped him with his cane.

"Some would call it rude, to say such things in a public space." Mr. Malfoy said, his eyes shining dangerously. Harry stood up next to Rohini in a protective stance.

"There are no laws against speaking the truth." He said and Mr. Malfoy's right eye twitched. Rohini saw him clench his cane tighter. He was still holding Ginny's old Transfiguration book. He thrust it back into her cauldron with a disdainful snort.

"Here girl, take your book—it's the best your father can give you." Rohini wasn't sure if she was imagining it, but she thought for a second that he had given Ginny more than one book. Or was the leathered one already in her cauldron before Mr. Malfoy gave her back the Transfiguration book?

"I'll see you at work." He said to Arthur Weasley before leaving the shop.

"I'll see you at school." Draco said to the twins before going after him.

"I thought Draco was the worse, but his father is beyond words." Rohini said. Harry told her to forget about it and they followed the Weasleys to the Leaky Cauldron where they all had a drink though they had lost their merry mood. They said good-bye to the Grangers, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle street on the other side; Mr. Weasley started to ask them how bus stops worked, but stopped quickly at the look on Mrs. Weasley's face.

Harry took off his glasses and put them safely in his pocket before helping himself to Floo powder. Rohini did the same thought she didn't have trouble with them the first time. They all arrived at The Burrow in one piece and nobody ended up in another house. Fred and George rounded off the evening with a display of Filibuster fireworks; they filled the kitchen with red and blue stars that bounced from ceiling to wall for at least half an hour. Then it was time for a last mug of hot chocolate and bed.

"I didn't remember dad buying me this." Ginny said as Rohini braided her beautiful red hair. She wasn't very skilled since her own hairs were pretty short but it was a fun thing to do.

"What?"

"This diary. I don't remember dad buying it." Ginny repeated, showing Rohini the leathered book she saw earlier. "Oh well, maybe he wanted to surprise me but worried the boys would have gotten jealous."

"Maybe…" Rohini said slowly. Something about the diary was bothering her but when Ginny opened it, there was nothing written inside. Just plain, old blank pages. "What are you going to write inside? Your whole Hogwarts adventures?"

"Does it sound silly?" Ginny asked, blushing a bit. "Ron said diaries are a stupid girly thing to do."

"Don't listen to him; I'm sure he has a secret one filled with love letters addressed to his favourite Quidditch players." Rohini said with a smile and Ginny giggled. "Plus, what's wrong with being girly?"

"Yeah, you're right." Ginny said. "Do you have a diary yourself?"

"No, I never got the chance to get one. Maybe I should." Rohini said. It's true that having a secret diary seemed like something most children did at least once in her life, but the Dursleys being who they were, Rohini never got to try writing one. "Alright, I'm done!" She said, looking proudly at the slightly messy braid.

"I hope you don't plan to become a hairdresser." Ginny said with a wink and the two girls laughed, being interrupted by Percy banging at the walls and telling them to go to bed. "Gosh, he's such a bummer…"

Rohini smiled before jumping off Ginny's bed and slipping under her own blanket. Thranduil meowed and jumped next to her, waiting for her to lie on her stomach so he could sleep on her back. Ginny smiled for she loved the cat as if it was her own. Her parents hadn't been able to afford a pet for her which she understood but still felt sad about. Rohini promised to let her play with Thranduil every time she wanted once they will be at Hogwarts.

"I hope you'll be a Ravenclaw." Rohini said sleepily.

"I doubt it; all my brothers are in Gryffindors." Her friend said with a loud yawn.

"So is Harry." Rohini pointed out with a knowing smile.

Ginny hurried to turn off the light, though Rohini got the time to see her cheeks turning red.


	5. Chapter 5

Hi guys!

I just wanted to thank you all for reading this story. It means a lot to me! I also wanted to apologize for all the possible mistakes you might have found; I'm not a native English speaker and I don't have a proof reader so I might have missed a few mistakes here and there... Thanks for your comprehension! Love you all!

And now, the new chapter!

The end of the summer vacation came way too fast to the Potters' liking. If Rohini couldn't wait for the classes to begin, she knew she will miss living with the Weasleys. It had been the first time she and Harry had felt like they belonged to a family.

Rohini had stayed with Mrs. Weasley to prepare their last dinner at The Burrow while the boys and Ginny went to play up the hill. Mrs. Weasley had excellent ideas when it came to cooking and Rohini learned a lot from her. It was pretty obvious that Molly was cooking the twins' favourite dishes which was a really nice thing to do. The dinner last longer than usual, everybody feeling both content and a bit melancholic. Ginny was unable to fall asleep for she was stressed about her first day at Hogwarts and Rohini didn't feel like sleeping either for she didn't wanted her time at The Burrow to end.

It took a long while to get started next morning. The night had been short and Ron almost fell back asleep while they were having breakfast. Thranduil refused to be caught and be put in his cage again, Scabbers was nowhere to be found and Mrs. Weasley dashed about in a bad mood looking for spare socks and quills.

Percy screamed for five minutes after Fred and George hid his prefect badge, Ginny did and undid her trunk eight times and Rohini tried to cut her hair quickly before leaving, accidentally cutting them too much after the twins' firework accidentally went off and scared her to death. Harry and Ron laughed so hard they ended up crying, and Mrs. Weasley was kind enough to make them grew again though it was too long to Rohini's taste.

Finally, they all got into the Ford Anglia that Mr. Weasley had obviously transformed without telling his wife for it was impossible for a Muggle car to fit nine people, seven large trunks, two owls, a cat and a rat without magic.

Mr. Weasley started up the engine and they trundled out of the yard. Rohini had just told Harry that she couldn't wait to come back that Mr. Weasley had to stop and turned back; the twins had forgotten their box of fireworks, Ginny her diary and Ron had just realised he didn't have his wand.

"Ok, this time is the right one." Mr. Weasley said, turning the key but Fred yelled that he had left his broomstick in the living room. Everybody grunted and waited for him to jump back in the car before Mr. Weasley broke speed record for they were getting extremely late.

They reached King's Cross at a quarter to eleven. Rohini couldn't help but smile brightly as she recognised a few familiar faces. They all waved at Lee Jordan, Fred and George's best friend, who was standing next to his parents. Mr. Weasley dashed across the road to get trolleys for their trunks and they all hurried into the station.

To get to the Hogwarts Express, they had to run into the wall between platforms nine and ten. It was a secret track that leaded to platform nine and three-quarter. Rohini noticed that Ginny was paler than usual, nervously playing with the braids Rohini had done for her. She had gotten much better to it in a few weeks.

"Want to go together?" She asked and Ginny nodded, relieved.

"Percy first," said Mrs. Weasley, looking nervously at the clock overhead, which showed they had only five minutes to disappear casually through the barrier.

Percy strode briskly forward and vanished. Mr. Weasley went next; Fred and George followed. Rohini and Ginny exchanged a look and Rohini counted to three before running toward the magical barrier, Ginny right after her.

A second passed, then Rohini was assaulted by the noisiness of the platform; she heard Ginny gasped as she emerged from the wall behind her. They were running late and Mrs. Weasley told them to go get a wagon for them and the boys. The last wagon was empty and so Ginny and Rohini sat inside but as the train whistled and started to shake, they realised neither Ron nor Harry had followed.

"Where are they?" Rohini asked, having a bad feeling about it. The train was now leaving in a thick white steam cloud, everybody waving at their families that vanished as the engine took a sharp turn. "They can't have possibly missed the train!"

"Maybe they got into another wagon?" Ginny suggested. "They might have met Hermione and decided to stay with her."

"Oh, right…" Rohini said, feeling a bit annoyed at the idea of being left behind. But Ginny was right; they hadn't taken a proper look inside the other wagons so maybe they passed their friends without meaning to. "I hope you don't mind staying in my company a bit longer then." Rohini said with a wink and Ginny huffed.

They were talking about the strict Professor McGonagall when the door slid open and a young blond girl stood in front of them, a dreamy smile on her face.

"Hello." She said in a soft voice, "May I sit here? I think the other wagons are filled with a lot of wrackspurts."

"A lot of what?" Rohini asked, moving to give the girl some space to sit.

"Wrackspurts. They are invisible creatures that float through one's ears causing their brain to go fuzzy. Never heard of it before?" She asked and the girls shook their heads. "Funny. I'm Luna, Luna Lovegood."

"Rohini Potter." Rohini said with a little wave of her hand. Ginny smiled and introduced herself, then seemed to remember something.

"I know your name! Don't your family own a magazine?" She said and Luna beamed.

"Oh, it's the first time I meet a reader. My dad is the editor of the magazine The Quibbler, yes." Then she turned to Rohini. "He once wrote about you and Harry Potter. We never had such a successful sell before."

"Yeah, I've heard we were famous." Rohini kind of joked to hide her embarrassment. She always felt awkward when people mentioned how much the world knew about them. "Cute hairpin." She said, referring to Luna's sunflower little pins in her beautiful if not slightly messy hair.

"Thank you." Luna said. "It's to keep Blibbering Humdingers away. Dad said they were scared by the colour yellow."

It was yet another creature Rohini had never heard of before and she was beginning to wonder if those were real though Luna Lovegood didn't sound like a liar. She was actually a funny girl and Ginny seemed happy to befriend someone her age for it was Luna's first year at Hogwarts too. While the two of them talked about Luna's father, Rohini announced she was going to look for their brothers; she wasn't able to get rid of the feeling that something was wrong.

Her fear only got confirmed when she saw the Weasleys twins and Lee eating funny looking snack that made them steam like a train and then a few wagons away Hermione and Neville sitting with Dean and Seamus with no sign of Ron nor Harry.

"I know we were running late, but they couldn't have possibly missed the train, could they?" Rohini asked nervously and Hermione assured her that even if they had, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would probably find a solution. She then asked Rohini if she wanted to sit with them but Rohini told her Ginny and another girl were already waiting for her. Truth to be told, the wagon was a little bit too crowded to her liking, especially after riding in the Ford Angelia with eight other persons.

As she walked back to her wagon, she bumped into Draco Malfoy and they threw each other a nasty glance but none of them seemed in a mood for a fight and so they left in opposite directions. Rohini didn't see Padma Patil either and supposed she must have been in one of the first wagons. She couldn't wait to see her again. They had barely been able to keep in touch during the summer vacation, and Rohini secretly feared that Padma would somehow not like her anymore which was a silly thing to think but sometimes Rohini was a silly girl, Ravenclaw or not.

When she came back to her wagon, Ginny was trying odd pinky glasses and reading The Quibbler with them. Luna asked Rohini if she wanted to have a look and Rohini agreed. The Quibbler was a really strange magazine with unusual theories and opinions but it wasn't written in a mean tone unlike some articles written in The Daily Prophet. Rohini liked it.

At some point the old lady with the candy trolley came and Rohini bought a bit of everything that she shared with Ginny and Luna. Ginny was unlucky and got an earth worm jelly bean and Luna got one tasting like cotton candy. Rohini got a spinach-like one, which didn't taste too horrible. Then they stared quietly by the window, enjoying the change of scenery.

Towns turned into fields which then turned into mountains and lakes. Night quickly followed and the girls had just finished changing into their robes, Rohini happy to wear her Ravenclaw colours once again, that the controller announced their imminent arrival.

As soon as the trains stopped, people pushed their way toward the doors. The girls decided to wait a bit before getting out into the platform. Luna looked quite relaxed but Ginny was definitely looking sick. Rohini recognised herself in her for she too had felt ill the first time.

A lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Rohini smiled as they heard a familiar voice:

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!", Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads. He waved at Rohini when he spotted her and Rohini tried to give Ginny a reassuring smile before pushing her towards Hagrid who leaded the first years to little boats that would cross the lake to the castle.

As for the rest of the students, Prefects called them to form a line in front of the one responsible of their House and then leaded them to black carriages with headlamps attached to the front and with the tops left open. However, there were no horses pulling them. Rohini was going to get inside one when she felt someone's hands falling on her eyes.

"Guess who?" Padma said and Rohini grinned.

"Hmmm… Severus Snape?" She said and Padma slapped the back of her head before pulling her into a tight embrace. Her hair smelt nicely, Rohini thought.

"I missed you." Padma said earnestly. "Oh, you're wearing the bracelet I gave you for Christmas!"

"Of course I am." Rohini said as they sat inside the carriage. It smelt like old people which was not as nice as Padma's shampoo. "How was your summer?"

"It was great! Parvati and I spend two weeks in July in the state of Kerala, in India, to visit one of our uncles. It was a really interesting experience! Uncle was delighted to see us again; the last time we came to visit, we were barely six years old."

"Wasn't it too awkward, to meet after such a long time?" Rohini asked, curious. "Does he have children?"

"It was at first, but we quickly caught up. He has two sons and a daughter, yeah."

Padma was telling Rohini about a typical day at her uncle's place when the carriages landed in front of the castle's gates. The girls couldn't help but gasp; Hogwarts was just as fantastic and breathe taking as how they remembered it with high towers and many windows. Rohini was a bit distracted by the fact that Harry and Ron were still nowhere to be seen, and wondered if Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would really be able to bring them here right in time for the first feast of the year. Maybe if they used Floo Powder again?

"I can't believe we're finally back!" Padma said and Rohini nodded. One House after the other they went inside. They began with the Ravenclaws for they had won the House Cup last year thanks to Rohini, followed by the Gryffindors, the Slytherins and the Hufflepuffs who swore they would win the Cup this time. They waited outside the Great Hall for a few minutes, chatting with a few ghosts that were happy to see them again. Then, Professor McGonagall opened the door and told them to get inside.

Rohini couldn't find words to describe how good it felt to be back to Hogwarts. The Great Hall was just as flamboyant as ever with its thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in mid-air over four long tables were they all took place in front of empty golden plates and cups. The bewitched ceiling showed a beautiful night sky without a single cloud, allowing them to see the different constellations and even a shooting star.

"Make a wish!" Padma whispered to Rohini. Rohini closed her eyes and wished to always feel at home when she came to Hogwarts. She also wished for Harry to join the Gryffindor table, but he and Ron were still missing when she opened her eyes which made her nervous.

The teachers took place and many students gasped excitingly when they saw the famous Gilderoy Lockhart taking place between Hagrid and Professor Flitwick, the Head of the Ravenclaw house.

"Did you know that he used to be a Ravenclaw, too?" Padma asked, excited.

"Who?" Rohini said and Padma rolled her eyes.

"Mr. Lockhart, of course!"

" _Of course_." Rohini repeated sarcastically before her attention went to the First years now entering the Great Hall. She smiled at their obvious astonishment and shiny eyes, knowing exactly how it felt to come inside for the first time, the thrill of the confirmation that you truly were a witch or a wizard, the anxiousness about being sorted into one of the four houses. She recognised Ginny's beautiful hair and gave her a reassuring smile and a thumb up. A few first years gasped and pointed at her when they recognised her and looked at the Gryffindor table, probably trying to find Harry.

Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. They all grinned when the First Years gasped as the Sorting Hat began to sing.

 _"_ _(…) You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff, Where they are just and loyal, Those patient Hufflepuffs are true And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, If you've a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin You'll make your real friends, Those cunning folk use any means To achieve their ends. (…)"_

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again. McGonagall took a step forwards and eyed each table before looking at the tiny first years.

"When I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses." McGonagall said before unrolling a parchment. Then began the Sorting Ceremony. The first students were all sorted in Slytherin and their table cheered loudly. The tiniest boy Rohini had ever seen, Colin Creevey, was sorted into Gryffindor. He was one of the first years who had looked at her with stars in their eyes earlier.

When Luna was called, she hopped towards McGonagall, making a few people laugh at her. The hat had barely touched her head that he shouted "Ravenclaw!"

Cheering, Rohini gave Luna a bright smile and waved at her. As Luna took place on her left, Rohini congratulated her. Padma seemed amused by Luna's dreamy look but not in a mean way. She seemed genuinely intrigued by what Luna had to say and Rohini was happy about it. The group of first years was getting smaller and finally it was Ginny's turn. Just like her brothers, she was sorted into Gryffindors. Luna seemed a bit sad about it but she still smiled and waved at Ginny who seemed relieved, colours going back to her face.

Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll as the last student was sorted into Hufflepuff and took the Sorting Hat away. Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak !"

"Very wise of him." Luna said with a nod and Rohini looked at Padma who shrugged; Luna was probably the only student to ever understand Dumbledore's funny choice of words.

Then the feast began; the empty golden plates were now piled with food and every first year gasped. Sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy… Rohini jumped on the food, filling her plate with a bit of everything except from the carrots because she still hated it. Padma told her she was amazed that Rohini was still so thin even though she ate as much as a whole Quidditch team.

"It's all in the genes." Rohini said between two bites. "I must have good ones." Padma puffed and helped herself to some rice. Luna on the other hand didn't eat much, reminding Rohini of a little bird somehow.

They were in a deep conversation about Blibbering Humdingers when Snape suddenly opened the gates and stepped inside, his long black cape floating behind him. He looked just as unfriendly as ever. He stopped in front of the teachers' table, whispering something to Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore. Rohini had the feeling that she knew who he was talking about and as the three professors left, she excused herself to Padma and Luna and followed them, hiding behind statues when Snape turned his head. He leaded them to his classroom in the dungeon where Harry and Ron were sitting.

Rohini was glad to see they were alright but was horrified to learn they had use Mr. Weasley's car to fly their way back to Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall pointed out they could have simply send an owl and Rohini cursed her brother's stupidity. He'd always been one to act on the moment. Hopefully, he will grow wiser this year… Thankfully, none of them got expelled and Rohini sighed, relieved. She didn't expect Dumbledore to stand up in front of her, raising an eyebrow over his half moon glasses.

"Professor Dumbledore, I-" Rohini began but Dumbledore stopped her with his hand.

"I'm sure you had a good reason to follow us." He said, glancing at the boys before looking back at Rohini. "However, it would be a shame to miss dessert. I've heard we're getting a delicious pudding." He said before putting a hand on Rohini's shoulder and guiding her back to the Great Hall. Rohini was worried about the fact neither Harry nor Ron had eaten and as if he had read her thoughts, Dumbledore assured her Professor McGonagall would probably not let them starve.

A few people looked at them as they went back inside and Rohini hurried to sit between Padma and Luna, blushing in embarrassment. Dumbledore hadn't lied; the pudding was, indeed, delicious. As the plates went empty again, Dumbledore stood up and everybody grimaced for they knew what was coming:

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" He gave his wand a little flick and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

The song had been, this year again, a disaster. Luna was happily singing and Rohini had to admit she had quite a nice voice. She and Padma were just mouthing the words and as usual, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march, making everybody smile except for Snape who, to be honest, probably didn't know what a genuine smile was.

"Ah, music," Dumbledore said. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

One by one the tables went empty as the students headed back to their dorm. Rohini said goodbye to Luna for the first years were going to be shown the Common Room first. When they reached their beds that were close to a window, Rohini and Padma dropped on them with a loud "huff!" for they had eaten too much and felt exhausted. Thranduil and Rohini's trunk were already here and Padma seemed happy to see the Siamese cat again. Rohini considered using her Two Way Mirror to contact Harry once everybody was asleep but she had barely slipped under her blue blanket that she began to snore, already in Morpheus' arms.


	6. Chapter 6

Rohini had lost the habit of waking up early when she stayed at The Burrow. She was also not a morning person and so it took Padma five minutes to get her out of bed. The four long House tables were already laden with tureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountains of toast, and dishes of eggs and bacon when they finally arrived.

Rohini first went to the Gryffindor table to slap Harry's head with a Gazette she had grabbed and rolled. Ron snorted and she did the same to him before pointing out how stupid they had been and that they were lucky they didn't got crushed by the tree.

"Can you stop acting like you're my mum?" Harry asked, annoyed, and Rohini barely had the time to open her mouth again that a hundred owls came inside flying by the high windows in a beautiful dance. Something large and grey fell into Hermione's jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers and making them scream. Rohini recognised the Weasleys' old owl.

"Errol!" said Ron, pulling the bedraggled owl out by the feet. Errol slumped, unconscious, onto the table, his legs in the air and a damp red envelope in his beak. Rohini gently picked the owl and rocked him like a baby.

"Oh, no—" Ron gasped.

"It's all right, he's still alive," Rohini said as the owl hooted weakly, opening an eye.

"It's not that—it's _that_."

Ron was pointing at the red envelope. Everybody around them was whispering and looking at the envelope as if it was a particularly dangerous and intriguing device.

"What's the matter?" said Harry.

"She's—she's sent me a Howler," said Ron faintly.

"You'd better open it, Ron," said Neville in a timid whisper. "It'll be worse if you don't. My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and"—he gulped—"it was horrible."

"What's a Howler?" Harry asked and Rohini, knowing what was going to happen, decided to go back to the Ravenclaw's table and have breakfast. She had barely sat that Mrs. Weasley's voice raise like a thunderstorm.

"RONALD WEALSEY. HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR! I'M ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED—YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME." Then, in a softer voice. "Ginny dear, congratulation for making it into Gryffindors. Your father and I are extremely proud."

Rohini glanced at Ginny who was as red as Ron and Harry. A few people snorted before going back to their former conversation. Rohini felt sorry for Mr. Weasley; she knew none of the boys had wanted to bring him troubles. Hopefully, he wouldn't lose his job.

"I've never heard a Howler before." Luna said. "They are a bit scary, don't you think?"

"My grandmother sent one to my dad once." Padma said, shuddering. "It was so loud the Muggles from next door knocked at our door to be sure everything was alright and nobody was hurt." She then handed a parchment to Rohini; it was their new schedule for the year and pretty similar to their previous one:

 **Monday:** Transfiguration, Magic Theory, DADA, Potions, Lunch time, History of Magic, Herbology and Astronomy at night.

 **Tuesday:** Charms, Transfiguration (2hours), Potions, Lunch time, DADA (2 hours)

 **Wednesday:** Herbology, History of Magic, Charms, Magic Theory, Lunch time, break, Transfiguration

 **Thursday:** Potions, Herbology, History of magic, Lunch time, free afternoon

 **Friday:** Transfiguration, Charms, break, DADA, Lunch time, History of Magic and finally Transfiguration

"We begin by Herbology with the Gryffindors today." Rohini said. They had fewer classes this year with other houses. She will miss spending time with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Luna's schedule was rather nice for they had no classes on Monday morning. Her first day at Hogwarts began with Charms and then two hours of Potions. Rohini wished her good luck and promised to see her at Lunch and then she and Padma left the Great Hall.

They crossed the vegetable patch, and made for the greenhouses, where the magical plants were kept. The air was still fresh and the sky was cloudy and grey. It must have rain at some point during the night for the grass was slightly humid and a nice petrichor smell was floating around. Perfect to begin the day, Rohini thought.

As they got near the greenhouses they saw the rest of the class standing outside, waiting for Professor Sprout. Rohini was saying hi to Parvati, Padma's twin sister, when Professor Sprout came into view, Gilderoy Lockhart striding next to her with one of his oh so irritating smiles.

Professor Sprout's arms were full of bandages for she just came back from the Whomping Willow that now had several of its branches in slings. Rohini glanced at Harry and Ron who had the decency to look ashamed.

"Oh, hello there!" Lockhart called, beaming around at the assembled students. Rohini stared in horror as most of the girls and two boys sighed dreamily. "Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is! I just happen to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels…"

Rohini felt sorry for Professor Sprout who looked like she was considering letting one of her carnivore plants eat Lockhart for breakfast. Rohini would gladly give her a hand if she needed to.

"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" said Professor Sprout.

There was a murmur of interest. They had only ever worked in greenhouse one before—greenhouse three housed far more interesting and dangerous plants. Professor Sprout took a large key from her belt and unlocked the door. Rohini was going to ask Harry what he thought about his own schedule when Lockhart grabbed her brother by the shoulder.

"Harry! I've been wanting a word—you don't mind if he's a couple of minutes late, do you, Professor Sprout?"

Judging by Professor Sprout's scowl, she did mind, but Lockhart said, "That's the ticket," and closed the greenhouse door in her face. Professor Sprout was turning red now, definitely plotting Lockhart's murder. Rohini slightly opened the door to listen to Lockhart's rubbish speech about popularity. Harry seemed dead inside, probably wishing to be somewhere else. Rohini decided to save him and cleared her throat loudly.

"I think even my brother -as good as he is- needs to be part of this class. Can't miss them after all the efforts he put into coming here, don't you think?" She asked and Harry seemed half annoyed half relieved by her intervention. Lockhart finally released him and left.

"Thanks." Harry mumbled before coming inside. Professor Sprout gave a discreet thumb up to Rohini before pointing at the twenty pairs of different-colored ear-muffs lying on the bench in front of them.

"We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?"

To nobody's surprise, Hermione and Rohini's hands were first into the air.

"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative," said Hermione, sounding as usual as though she had swallowed the textbook. "It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."

"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," Rohini added. "Though I suppose those are still young, and will only make us lose consciousness for a few hours."

"Excellent. Ten points to each of you." Professor Spout said, beaming. She then pointed at a row of deep trays and everyone shuffled forward for a better look. A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in color, were growing there in rows.

"Everyone, take a pair of earmuffs," said Professor Sprout.

There was a scramble as everyone tried to seize a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy. Rohini being one of the smallest students, she was quickly pushed away and ended up with one of them and so did Neville Longbottom.

"When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered," said Professor Sprout. "When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs-up. Right—earmuffs on."

Professor Sprout put her own pink, fluffy pair over her ears, rolled up the sleeves of her robes, grasped one of the tufty plants firmly, and pulled hard.

They all grunted, pushing on their earmuffs for they could still hear the faint high pitched scream coming from the small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby plant. Professor Sprout took a large plant pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it, burying him in dark, damp compost until only the tufted leaves were visible.

Professor Sprout then gave them a thumb up so they could listen to her advices. "Four to a tray—there is a large supply of pots here—compost in the sacks over there—and be careful of the Venomous Tentacula, it's teething."

She gave a sharp slap to a spiky, dark red plant as she spoke, making it draw in the long feelers that had been inching sneakily over her shoulder. Padma, Parvati, her best friend Lavender Brown and Rohini formed a group. Next to them, Harry, Ron and Hermione were joined by Neville. Rohini didn't miss the fearful expression on their face, probably wondering what would go wrong with the poor Neville this time.

They began filling their plant pots with dragon dung compost. Rohini was the one doing it for the girls didn't wanted the smell to linger on their clothes. Rohini rolled her eyes, pointing out that they'll all be allowed to wash up quickly after the class.

Their earmuffs were back on and they needed to concentrate on the Mandrakes. Professor Sprout had made it look extremely easy, but it wasn't. The Mandrakes didn't like coming out of the earth, but didn't seem to want to go back into it either. They squirmed, kicked, flailed their sharp little fists, and gnashed their teeth. Rohini had to take off her glasses after a plant threw compost to her face. By the end of the class everyone was sweaty, aching, and covered in earth. They walked back to the castle for a quick wash.

The next class was rather dull for it was History of Magic. They talked about the International Warlock Convention of 1289 though most people ended up doing something else or falling back asleep. Rohini was however extremely happy to begin Charms classes again for she always did an excellent job during them.

Everybody ran to the Great Hall when Lunch break came, starving. Rohini saw Ginny and asked her own her first day was going so far. Ginny told her it was alright and she couldn't wait for her first flying lesson even if she already knew how to use a broomstick.

Luna seemed pleased too and told them she suspected that Snape was actually a vampire. Glancing at the gloomy teacher, Rohini thought he did have the look for it. Checking Padma's schedule while helping herself some chicken wings, Rohini felt oddly jealous as she saw her best friend had drew little hearts around Lockhart's name. Why did everybody love this guy? He was ridiculous!

They only had one class at the end of the afternoon and so Rohini decided to sit outside in the courtyard with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Padma said she will join her later before walking towards her sister.

Hermione sat down on a stone step and buried her nose in _Voyages with Vampires_. Rohini suspected she had read it more than any other books. Rohini was also carrying her favourite book and soon she was reading _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ while sitting between Hermione and Ron.

The boys were talking about Quidditch for several minutes when a sudden flash made them jump. Looking up, they saw Colin, the tiny Gryffindor, holding up a Muggle camera and looking at the twins as if they were Hollywood stars.

"Hi! I'm—I'm Colin Creevey," he said breathlessly, taking a tentative step forward. "I'm in Gryffindor, too. D'you think—would it be all right if—can I have a picture?" he asked to Harry as if he hadn't already took one just a second ago.

"A picture?" Harry repeated blankly. Rohini bit her cheeks, trying not to laugh.

"So I can prove I've met you," said Colin Creevey eagerly, edging further forward. "I know all about you. Everyone's told me. About how you survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and how you've still got a lightning scar on your forehead."

He went on and on like this, gushing about Harry with a few glances at Rohini. "Maybe your friend could take the picture and I could stand next to you? Rohini, too! And then, could you sign it?"

"Signed photos? You're giving out signed photos, Potter?" Malfoy said, standing behind Colin with his two gorilla-looking friends standing next to him like body guards.

"Everyone line up!" Malfoy roared to the crowd. "Harry Potter's giving out signed photos!"

"No, I'm not," said Harry angrily, his fists clenching. "Shut up, Malfoy."

Rohini stood up, standing right next to Harry. She looked ridiculously thin next to Crabbe who was as big as Dudley. Yet she wasn't scared of them for they were extremely stupid.

"Don't mind him, Harry. He probably wish he was famous for something else than his father's name. Though I'm sure the only reason he would make it into the newspapers would be for winning the "Whiniest Baby Ever" title." She said. Malfoy didn't seem to appreciate her intervention and took a step closer. Crabbe cracked his knuckles menacingly but Rohini didn't move.

She was saved by the bell that rang just in time. The Slytherin trio took their leave and Colin finally got his picture with the reluctant Potter twins before leaving too, followed by Harry and his friends. Rohini sighed and sat back on the steps, her attention back to her book.

Xxx

Thursday was officially the worse day of the week, simply because it began with a double Potions class with the Slytherins. Snape arrived ten minutes late with the iratest expression Rohini had ever seen and the cause was quite obvious for Lockhart was following him. Snape didn't hesitate and slammed the door shut to his face before heading to his desk where he stood and looked at the Ravenclaws with disdain.

"I highly doubt any of you will remember what they learnt last year." He said slowly, his black eyes stopping on Crabbe before looking at Lisa Turpin for they were some of the worst Potions students. "Nor do I expect some of you to finally show some respect." He said, this time targeting Rohini who refused to lower her gaze.

"Who can tell me what the Sleeping Draught is?" He then asked, ignoring Rohini's raised hand. "I see that none of you felt the need to open your book during the vacation."

Padma gently patted Rohini's arm for the girl was furious at being ignored for the stupid reason that Snape was still holding a grunge on her father for something that happened years ago. The Sleeping Draught was a potion that caused the drinker to fall almost instantaneously into a deep but temporary sleep and it differed from the Draught of Living Death, which was much more powerful, lasting, and difficult to make.

Snape wrote the instruction on the chalkboard and barked at them to get into action. As usual, Padma and Rohini paired up together. They were one of the two only successful duos, the other one being Malfoy and a girl whose name Rohini had forgotten. Of course, Snape being who he was, he gave ten points to Slytherin for it but completely ignored the Ravenclaws.

Yes, Thursday was definitely the worst.

Xxx

Rohini thought no class could be less interesting than Magic Theory. She was proven wrong on Friday morning when came their first DADA class with Lockhart. He was fashionably late, dressed in one of his lilac robe and beaming. When the whole class was seated, Lockhart cleared his throat loudly and silence fell. He then proceeded to introduce himself as if there was still someone in this classroom unaware of his identity.

"Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award—but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!"

Rohini facepalmed. He was the biggest idiot she had ever met. A few girls giggled and she threw them a disgusted glance.

"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books—well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about—just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in—"

When he had handed out the test papers he returned to the front of the class and said, "You have thirty minutes. Start now!"

The questions were impressively narcissist and Rohini wondered if Lockhart shouldn't consult a professional about his ego.

 _1\. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?_

 _2\. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?_

 _3\. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?_

On and on it went, over three sides of paper, right down to:

 _54\. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?_

Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and rifled through them in front of the class. It was the first time Rohini had failed a test that wasn't mathematic. Lockhart then talked about himself for the rest of the hour and Rohini began to daze off.

Later that day, Harry, Ron and Hermione told her about what had happened during their first DADA class.

"That's probably why he didn't show you the Pixies; this idiot was unable to take care of them himself." Ron said and Hermione spent the next few minutes defending Lockhart. For once, Rohini was siding with the boys; Lockhart was the biggest imbecile she had ever met.

"He just wanted to give us some hands-on experience." said Hermione before heading to the Gryffindor table for dinner, looking offended. Rohini rolled her eyes and waved at her brother and friends before heading to the Ravenclaw table where she sat between Padma and Luna. Luna was wearing a curious necklace made of Butterbeer caps and Rohini wondered if she had made it herself.

No matter what, she was still feeling quite happy to be back at Hogwarts and neither Lockhart nor Snape would change that. What she didn't know however was that another storm was coming, a storm that would put Hogwarts in a chaotic state.


	7. Chapter 7

Rohini was surprised when she didn't see Harry with Ron and Hermione for breakfast the next day. Her friends told her Wood had apparently decided to exhaust his players by waking them at dawn for a Quidditch practice. Since they had nothing else to do, Rohini decided to accompany them to the Quidditch field after grabbing a few fruits and some brioches for Harry.

She saw Ginny and asked her if she wanted to come see Harry but to her surprise, Ginny politely decline. Rohini wondered if it was her brothers' fault for teasing her so much about her crush on Harry.

They didn't expect anybody else to be there but Colin Creevey was actually already sitting on a bench, his camera ready to capture Harry's best angle. When the Gryffindors team finally emerged from the lockers, they were baffled that they hadn't started yet.

"Wood's been teaching us new moves." Harry said with a sigh as Rohini threw a brioche at him that he easily caught. She did the same with the Weasley twins who looked like they were still asleep with their puffy red eyes. Then the team soared up into the air, Colin squealing happily, taking picture after picture, the sound strangely magnified in the deserted stadium.

"Look this way, Harry! This way!" he cried shrilly.

"Colin, don't take it wrong but Harry isn't fond of being photographed." Rohini said, gently putting Colin's camera down. "Besides, you might distract them with your flash."

"Oh, you're right…" Colin said, looking like a puppy that would have been kicked and threw out into the rain. Rohini glanced at Ron and Hermione for help but frowned when troubles arrived: several people in green robes were walking onto the field, broomsticks in their hands. It was the Slytherin team, no doubt about it.

Wood shot toward the ground, landing rather harder than he meant to in his anger, staggering slightly as he dismounted. The rest of the team followed, looking confused. Hermione, Ron and Rohini joined them, standing next to Harry.

"Flint!" Wood bellowed at the Slytherin Captain. "This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!"

Marcus Flint was even larger than Wood. He had a look of trollish cunning on his face as he replied, "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood."

"But I booked the field!" said Wood, positively spitting with rage. "I booked it!"

"Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. ' _I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker_.'"

"You've got a new Seeker?" said Wood, distracted. "Who?"

And from behind the six large figures before them came a seventh, smaller boy, smirking all over his pale, pointed face. It was Draco Malfoy. Rohini clenched her teeth. Of course it had to be him. She felt Harry tensing by her side.

"Malfoy." He said between his teeth.

"That's right. And that's not all that new this year." Draco said, showing them the Slytherins' new shining broomsticks.

"Those are Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones! How did you get those?" Ron said and Rohini remembered the boys talking about it; those were the latest broomsticks and apparently the best to date.

"A gift from Draco's father." Flint said, smirking at Wood's jealous expression.

"You see Weasley, unlike some, my father can afford the best." Malfoy said with a disdainful look at Fred and George's old models. "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them."

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. They got it on pure talent." Hermione said and Rohini snorted. Malfoy lost his smile and took a step closer to look down at Hermione. Rohini slowly grabbed her own wand.

"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood!" He spat and Hermione pinched her lips as Ron raised his own broken wand, looking furious. Rohini barely had time to stop him that he was trying to curse Malfoy.

A loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of green light shot out of the wrong end of Ron's wand, hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling backward onto the grass.

"Ron! Ron! Are you all right?" squealed Hermione.

Ron opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he gave an almighty belch and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth onto his lap. Rohini didn't let Malfoy savoured the instant; she raised her arm, furious, and shouted:

" _Flipendo_!" She said and Draco yelled as he was knocked off by a magical wave. Rohini raised her wand again, ready to strike but she was grabbed by Harry and reluctantly followed them towards Hagrid's hut.

"He should be expelled for that!" Rohini shouted angrily, an arm around Hermione's shoulders for she seemed ready to cry. "This little dirty-"She was interrupted by Fang's loud barks as Hagrid opened the door, confused.

Harry and Rohini supported Ron over the threshold into the one-roomed cabin, which had an enormous bed in one corner, a fire crackling merrily in the other. Hagrid didn't seem perturbed by Ron's slug problem, which Harry hastily explained as he lowered Ron into a chair.

"Better out than in," he said cheerfully, plunking a large copper basin in front of him. "Get 'em all up, Ron."

"I don't think there's anything to do except wait for it to stop," said Hermione, watching Ron bend over the basin. "That's a difficult curse to work at the best of times, but with a broken wand—"

Hagrid was bustling around making them tea.

"Who was he tryin' ter curse?" He asked while serving them.

"Malfoy." Rohini spat, her eyes burning with anger. "He called Hermione…"

"He called me a Mudblood." Hermione said, looking away as her eyes got all tearful again. Rohini gently rubbed her back. Hagrid looked outraged.

"He didn'!" he growled at Hermione.

"What's a Mudblood?" Harry asked.

"It's about the most insulting thing he could think of," gasped Ron, coming back up. "Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born—you know, non-magic parents."

"There're families, like the Malfoys, who think they're better than everyone else because they're pureblood." Rohini explained to Harry. "This is stupid; if anything, they only seem to sink lower than everyone else."

"An' they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can't do," said Hagrid proudly, making Hermione go a brilliant shade of magenta.

"Well, I don' blame yeh fer tryin' ter curse him, Ron," said Hagrid loudly over the thuds of more slugs hitting the basin. "Bu' maybe it was a good thing yer wand backfired. 'Spect Lucius Malfoy would've come marchin' up ter school if yeh'd cursed his son. Least yer not in trouble."

"I might have tried to." Rohini admitted though she didn't feel ashamed of it. "Just knocked him off though; Harry stopped me before I turned him into the nasty bug he is."

"I'm glad he did, then." Hagrid said while slapping Harry's back before saying with a frown. "Gotta bone ter pick with yeh. I've heard you've bin givin' out signed photos. How come I haven't got one?"

"I have not been giving out signed photos," Harry said hotly, Rohini giggling behind her sleeve. "If Lockhart's still spreading that around—"

But then he saw that Hagrid was laughing too.

"I'm on'y jokin'," he said, patting Harry's arm. "I knew yeh hadn't really. I told Lockhart yeh didn' need teh. Yer more famous than him without tryin'."

"Did you?" Rohini said, looking at Hagrid with admiration.

"He probably didn't like it." Harry said with a smile.

"Don' think he did," said Hagrid, his eyes twinkling. "An' then I told him I'd never read one o' his books an' he decided ter go."

"I wish I could get rid of him so easily." Harry sighed. "He follows me everywhere."

"Oh, the curse of being the famous Harry Potter." Rohini said with a wink. "Tragic, really."

Xxx

It was nearly lunchtime when they went back to school to eat. They said good-bye to Hagrid and walked back up to the castle, Ron hiccoughing occasionally, but only bringing up two very small slugs.

They had barely set foot in the cool entrance hall when a voice rang out, "There you are, Potter—Weasley." Professor McGonagall was walking toward them, looking stern. "You will both do your detentions this evening."

"What're we doing, Professor?" said Ron, nervously suppressing a burp.

"You will be polishing the silver in the trophy room with Mr. Filch," said Professor McGonagall. "And no magic, Weasley—elbow grease."

Ron gulped. Argus Filch, the caretaker, was loathed by every student in the school. Rohini thought it was a rather fair detention for what they did though.

"And you, Potter, will be helping Professor Lockhart answer his fan mail," said Professor McGonagall.

"Oh n—Professor, can't I go and do the trophy room, too?" said Harry desperately.

"Certainly not," said Professor McGonagall, raising her eyebrows. "Professor Lockhart requested you particularly. Eight o'clock sharp, both of you."

Harry and Ron slouched into the Great Hall in states of deepest gloom, Rohini trying to look sorry for her brother even though she found it quite entertaining. She sat between Padma and Luna who were still talking about her vampire theory about Snape. She told them about Harry and Ron's punishment and Padma said she wouldn't mind helping Lockhart herself which annoyed Rohini more than she wanted to admit.

As they left the Great Hall they met Ginny who seemed a bit tired today. Rohini asked her if she felt like playing with Thranduil, which seemed to make her feel better. They walked to the Ravenclaw tower and Rohini went to fetch her cat that began to purr as soon as he was in Ginny's arms. The girls spend the rest of the day together, talking about Ginny and Luna's impression of Hogwarts so far and how different the second year felt.

"Are you going to try to join the Ravenclaw Quidditch team?" Ginny asked Rohini and Padma. "You're both old enough to apply for it."

"I'm not really into Quidditch." Rohini said. "Plus, it would be awkward to play against Harry I think."

"You could join the Chess club." Luna said with a smile. "You beat me when we played together."

"I, hum, am not really into being in a club or anything, really." Rohini said, nervously rubbing the back of her head. "More of a lone wolf, you know? Though I've heard Colin Creevey talking about creating a Harry Potter fan club. Maybe I'll join, just to be the lame sister." She said with a wink. Ginny's cheeks turned slightly red but she still smiled at her. Ginny announced she needed to go check something and left the three Ravenclaws behind.

Padma, Luna and Rohini then decided to go to their Common Room which smelt of roses and was filled with the sound of singing birds. They spent the end of the afternoon challenging each other with riddles and Luna won three times.

Dinner was close and Rohini decided to carry back Thranduil to her bedroom, her cat reluctantly leaving Luna's arms.

"Traitor." Rohini said while affectuously scratching his chin. She was trying to tie her hair into a tiny ponytail when she thought she heard someone talking. Looking around, she realised she was alone. It might have just been a ghost walking around. She shrugged and was going to get out of the dorm when she heard a voice again.

"Hello?" She said with her hand on her wand. "Peeves if you think you're funny, then you need to think again."

"Come… come to me…" a voice to chill the bone marrow whispered, "Let me rip you… Let me tear you…"

Rohini gulped for even Peeves didn't have such a morbid sense of humour. She was going from one bedroom to another now, checking under beds to make sure nobody was hiding. Maybe a Slytherin had managed to sneak inside and was trying to make a fool out of her?

"Let me…Kill!" The voice suddenly said, as if it was coming closer and Rohini was breathing loudly now, cold sweat making her olive skin glittered. She rushed outside the dorm and ran, feeling the invisible presence behind her. She didn't hear Padma calling her name, her heart beating too fast and too loudly for that. She suddenly bumped into Harry and yelped.

"Rohini?" He asked, confused. "What's wrong?"

"Some- something is following me." She said in a high pitched voice, ignoring the few students looking at her queerly. "There was a voice. It was saying horrible thing about killing and-"

"Wow, wow." Harry said, trying to calm her. "Are you sure it wasn't Peeve?"

"Even he doesn't have such a nasty sense of humour." Rohini pointed out, glancing behind her to make sure nothing had followed. "Besides, it wasn't his voice. It's sounded… it sounded ghostly, cold blooded."

"Do you think it might be related to what Dobby said?" Harry asked but before Rohini could answer, Padma and Luna joined them, asking what had happened.

Rohini hated keeping secrets or lying. But somehow, she didn't wanted Padma to think she had gone crazy and heard voices and so she told her a huge spider had fallen on her face while she was tying her hair.

"You're usually not afraid of spiders." Padma pointed out, doubtful.

"It was a really big one." Rohini said, feeling awful for lying to her best friend.

"Like this one?" Luna said, pointing at the wall. They all had a movement of repulsion when they saw spiders quickly climbing the wall to escape by a window. Padma shuddered and decided it was time to go to the Great Hall for dinner and Rohini had never been so grateful to see spiders in her life. Ron and Hermione were already sitting at the Gryffindor table and Harry explained that he had met Lockhart in the corridor, hence why he wasn't with them.

"Good luck for your detention with him." Rohini said before following Padma and Luna to the Ravenclaw table. She wasn't hungry at all and barely ate for once, the creepy voice still inside her mind. What if Harry was right? What if it was the danger Dobby had warned them about?

She barely slept that night, waking up at every little sound or movement. Things took a weirder, creepier turn when Harry told her the next day while they were hiding behind a statue that he, too, had heard the sinister voice during his detention hour.

"What do you think?" He asked her after a long silence.

"I think that we're either both turning crazy or something terrible is going to happen at Hogwarts." Rohini said and the twins stared at each other, looking grim. Dobby's words came back to them and they shuddered. What if the House Elf had tell the truth? What if every student was in a deadly danger?

Lost in their thoughts, they didn't saw the line of spiders running up the wall on their left, terrified.


	8. Chapter 8

October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and students. It was a good thing her _Pepperup Potion_ worked instantly or the hospital wing would have been overcrowded.

Both Ginny and Rohini had fallen sick but a single glass of the spicy brew had been enough to heal them. They looked ridiculous though, their ears smoking for the rest of the day. It reached the point where you couldn't see anything during certain classes for too many students were steaming.

Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid's pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds. Rohini wasn't feeling good lately. It wasn't that the classes didn't interest her; she learnt quickly and loved it. She even got a smile from McGonagall, which is one of the highest compliments somebody can have.

Maybe it was due to her body changing. She could tell she had grew up a little, though not as much as Harry or Draco Malfoy. There was also her hair; there were shoulder length now and Rohini wanted to cut them but every time she asked for someone's assistance, they would only point out that she had pretty hair and it would be a shame to cut them.

Periods were definitely a mood dropper too. First time she got them at Hogwarts, she couldn't move from her bed that she had stained until everyone else had left and had to ask Padma if she could go ask Madam Pomfrey for pads. She came back with the old witch who was kind and understanding and cleaned the sheets with a twist of her wrist. She also gave her a potion for cramps before leaving.

Other changes were happening too: her legs were slowly but surely getting hairy, her face getting covered with a bit of acne, her hair getting greasy faster than before… Rohini hated her reflection now. She thought she heard Aunt Petunia mentioning it once; she had called it going through puberty. Rohini would have gladly skipped this part of her life.

What she hated the most about it was how it didn't seem to affect everyone the way it did to her. Padma for instance was just as pretty as ever. Her smile was warm and beautiful, her hair thick and nice to touch, her skin clean of any imperfection. It wasn't fair, really.

Xxx

Halloween was one of Rohini's favourite days; Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall always did a wonderful job at decorating the castle, especially the Great Hall. There were Hagrid's wonderful pumpkins too: there were so big Rohini was pretty sure that if you emptied them, she would be able to sit inside one.

She was currently sitting _on_ one of them, rain slowly falling from the dark, clouded sky. She wasn't feeling so good today and when Padma had told her she was going to spend the day with Parvati so they organise their mother's birthday, Rohini used the opportunity to run away from the castle. It had been a silly decision for she was soaked to the bone and shivering, but the rain and the smell of wet earth was soothing her.

"Rohini?"

She turned her face and saw Hagrid standing at his doorstep, looking at her with a frown. He then hurried to join her and opened his pink umbrella to shelter her from the rain.

"What've you been doin' here? Yeh gunna be sick!"

"I just felt like cleaning my head." Rohini said. Hagrid gently pushed her towards his hut which was warm and welcoming and smelt slightly of garlic. As soon as Rohini sat on a chair, Fang rested his huge head on her laps and began to drool. Hagrid then dropped a plaid on her shoulders and she wrapped herself in.

"Here, eat some chocolate." Hagrid said, handing her a Chocolate Frog. "Wanna talk 'bout it?"

"Thanks." Rohini said with a little voice. "It's nothing, really." She said quickly but Hagrid gave her a knowing look. Rohini sighed and took a bite of chocolate. It felt pretty good and melted quickly.

"Did somethin' happen with Harry?" Hagrid asked but Rohini shook her head. She hadn't seen Harry much lately and felt a bit guilty about it.

"It's not Harry, it's me." She finally admitted. "I'm just… I don't feel like myself. I mean, I am me obviously. But I'm changing and I hate that. It's stupid, I know." She said, scratching Fang's head. The dog lazily swung his tail and closed his eyes.

Hagrid sighed and kneeled next to Rohini to be at the same eye level as her.

"It's not stupid, Rohini. We all feel this way, and not just when we're young. I was like this, too. Biggest child aroun', and still kept growin'. Hated that, getting' bigger and bigger." Hagrid said.

"But one day, you'll realise; change isn't necessary a bad thing. Yeh'll be fine, Rohini. I'm sure yer' changin' for the better." He told her with a smile and Rohini nodded before hugging him and sniffing.

"Thanks, Hagrid. You're the best person I've ever met."

Hagrid blushed at the compliment before offering to walk her back to the castle. They walked side by side, protected from the rain by his pink umbrella. They were reaching the entrance gates when Rohini spotted Harry, all muddy and still in his Quidditch Uniform. He saw them and smiled, waiting for them to get closer.

"You're getting way too tall." Rohini said with a pout. "Soon you'll be taller than Malfoy."

"Terrible, really." Harry said, shaking his head and Rohini rolled her eyes. "How are you, Hagrid?"

"Well, 'm still waintin' for my signed photo." He said with a wink and the twins giggled. "'need to go. Dumbledore is waintin' for me, have to talk about somethin'. See yeh during the feast!"

Hagrid walked away, leaving huge puddles of mud behind. Harry then told Rohini what just happened to him after he came back from his Quidditch practice:

"Filch got me while I was talking to Nearly Headless Nick and dragged me to his office because I left mud behind. But then, Nick convinced Peeves to make some noises right above Filch's office and while he was gone, I read a letter he received."

"You're reading other people's letters now? I'm disappointed." Rohini said and Harry rolled his eyes before telling her the rest of his story:

"Anyway. Judging by the letter, it sounded as if Filch wasn't able to use magic properly. When Filch came back and realised I touched it, he was so mad and afraid that I would talk about it that he let me go without a punishment."

"Wow, lucky you." Rohini said. "Guess I should read Snape's letters. Maybe I'll get away with losing points then." She joked and Harry smiled before he remembered something.

"Ah, and Nick invited me to his - what was it?- deathday party. He said you, Hermione and Ron could join me if you wanted to. It's taking place tonight, during the feast."

Rohini thought about it. She'd obviously never been to a deathparty before and it would be a good way to learn more about ghosts' traditions but it sounded also extremely morbid.

"I'll eat first and join you right after." She promised Harry. "You're aware there will probably be no food since everybody is dead, right?"

"Oh." Harry said, losing his smile. "I didn't think about that."

"Don't worry, I'll save some food for you." Rohini said, messing up with Harry's hair and making him groan. They decided to spend the rest of the day together for the first time since they left Privet Drive. They found a deserted corridor and Rohini got her chess set out of her bag. They played a few games, all won by Rohini.

"You've improved a lot." She assured him. "Our games last longer now."

"Maybe I'll beat you before the end of the year, then." Harry said cheekily and Rohini threw her queen to his face. Then they talked about life at Hogwarts in general. Harry told her about the difficulties of Wood's new training techniques and how he was worried about the Slytherins' new broomsticks. Rohini pointed out that Draco might not be a good seeker and having a cool broom will not give him sudden awesome abilities, unlike Harry who was probably one of the best seekers the Gryffindor team had ever had.

Then Harry asked her about her own life and Rohini stayed quiet for a few minutes before telling him how she didn't feel as good as she wanted to. She also told him about how annoying it was to have everybody gushing about Lockhart wherever she went and Harry agreed.

"I mean, even Padma seem to like him! I don't understand, how can they not see how stupidly dumb he is? He can't even cast one spell right!"

"It's the hair." Harry said. "It's always the hair."

"Might explain why Snape isn't popular, then." Rohini said and the twins smiled. "Mum had awesome hair, didn't she? Such a beautiful colour." She said while going through her bag and picked up the family picture she was always carrying with her, safe in a book.

"Can you imagine how we would have looked, if we had dad's eyes but mum's skin and hair?" Harry asked and Rohini laughed.

"We would have looked like the new Weasley twins." Rohini said. "Imagine Malfoy's reaction on our first day!"

"He would have definitely taken us for Weasleys, yeah." Harry nodded.

They looked at the picture for a while, smiling softy every time James and Lily smiled at them or kissed each other, their dad holding Rohini and Lily holding Harry. Hagrid had given Harry a photo album last year, but the picture Rohini had received for Christmas was still their favourite.

An hour before Nearly Headless Nick's party, they both returned to their common room. Rohini stoop up five minutes in front of the eagle's head, trying to figure out the answer to the riddle. Before she did however, somebody opened the door and a beautiful girl came out of it. Rohini thought she heard someone call her "Cho Chang" once. She was one of the prettiest girls Rohini had ever seen.

"Hi." She said and Cho Chang seemed surprised.

"Hello." She said politely before walking away. Rohini mentally slapped herself before getting inside the Common Room. The air was filled with the smell of cinnamon and a Halloween tune was playing. Rohini saw Luna sitting in front of the chimney fire, reading the new Quibbler. She had her wand stuck behind her right ear and had a little smile on her face.

"Hey." Rohini said, sitting next to her. "Anything new?"

"Oh, hi. Apparently the dirigible plum would enhance one's ability to accept the extraordinary." Luna said, handing up the Quibbler for Rohini to read. Rohini wasn't sure of what to think of the eccentric newspaper. It was a bizarre melange of really interesting theories and completely mind blowing explanations about the most obscure creatures.

"Luna, where are your shoes?" Rohini asked, surprised when she noticed that her friend was barefoot.

"Somebody steal them." Luna said as if it was the most normal thing ever. Seeing Rohini's offended expression, she gently petted her arm in order to calm her. "Don't worry, Ginny already went after them. But they didn't tell her where my shoes were. I don't mind; it's nice to feel the marble under my feet."

"I'm glad Ginny was here, then." Rohini sighed. "But you shouldn't let them do whatever they want. Come on, it's time for the feast. You'll see, it's impressive!" Rohini said, helping Luna on her feet.

"I can't wait, then." Luna said with a smile and the two of them left the Common Room, heading to the Great Hall. They walked past Harry, Ron and Hermione who were heading to the deathparty. Hermione was the only one looking excited about it, the boys probably regretting to miss the feast.

The Great Hall was glittering invitingly with gold plates and candles as well as bats flying around and Hagrid's huge pumpkins floating above their heads with candles inside. Padma was already here and smiled when she saw her friends. Rohini smiled back; it felt like days since she saw her best friend.

"How was your day?" She asked Padma who told her about how difficult it had been to find out a gift for her mother and organising the secret birthday party from the castle.

"We had to use different owls because of how tiring a single trip was." She explained, helping herself to some mashed potatoes. Rohini went for the pumpkin butternut pie instead. "How about you?"

"I visited Hagrid and then spend the rest of the day with my brother." Rohini said between two large bites. She hadn't realised she was starving. "He's at Nearly Headless Nick's deathparty. I'm supposed to join them later."

"A deathparty?" Padma said with a disgusted expression. "That's awful!"

"Yeah, I wonder what it consist of." Rohini said. "Like, do they just float around looking grim or do they actually have a proper party? I'm really curious about it. Want to come with me?"

"No thanks." Padma said. "I'm more comfortable amongst the livings."

Before leaving, Rohini filled her pockets with cakes and anything that wouldn't stain her clothes and said goodbye to Padma and Luna. It's only five minutes later that she realised she had no idea where she was supposed to go. She didn't have to fret for too long though: a hoard of headless horsemen and their horses flew loudly towards one of the dungeons. Running after them, Rohini followed them into a deadly cold room filled with ghosts, Harry, Ron and Hermione who waved at her. They devoured the food she brought them in a blink.

"If I could have everyone's attention, it's time for my speech!" said Nearly Headless Nick loudly, striding toward the podium and climbing into an icy blue spotlight.

"My late lamented lords, ladies, and gentlemen, it is my great sorrow…"

But nobody heard much more. Sir Patrick and the rest of the Headless Hunt had just started a game of Head Hockey and the crowd were turning to watch. Nearly Headless Nick tried vainly to recapture his audience, but gave up as Sir Patrick's head went sailing past him to loud cheers.

Rohini was shaking like a leaf, rubbing her arms vigorously and stepping away from the rotting food on a banquet table.

"I can't stand much more of this," Ron muttered, his teeth chattering, as the orchestra ground back into action and the ghosts swept back onto the dance floor.

"Let's go," Harry agreed.

"But I just arrived!" Rohini said with a pout, though she followed them outside.

"Pudding might not be finished yet," said Ron hopefully, leading the way toward the steps to the entrance hall. He was almost running, but bumped into the twins who had stopped, eyes wide opened in fear.

"Did you hear that?" Rohini said and Harry nodded.

"Heard what?" Ron asked, exchanging a confused glance with Hermione.

 _"…_ _Rip… tear… kill…"_ The cold, low voice from a month ago hissed and Rohini shivered. Harry rested his ear against the cold stone.

"I think it's coming from the walls." He said and Rohini did the same.

 _"_ _Rip…."_

"Harry, what're you—?" Hermione began but the twins shushed her. The voice began to move and they began to run, going after it.

"Harry, Rohini! Wait!"

"… _Ssssso hungry… for ssso long_ …"

"how can it be moving upward? Is it a ghost?" Harry asked aloud in a mixture of fear and excitement.

"I'm sure no ghost at Hogwarts is so hostile." Rohini said, sprinting as the invisible threat seemed to accelerate.

" _Kill… Kill… Kill!"_

The babble of talk from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great Hall. Rohini sprinted up the marble staircase to the first floor, Harry right behind her and Ron and Hermione far behind. They were trying to stop the twins but none of them listened.

Rohini strained her ears. Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter still, she heard the voice: _"…I smell blood… I SMELL BLOOD!"_

"Oh god, I hope nobody's dead yet." Rohini moaned as they took a sharp turn, almost falling into the next stair and suddenly tripping, Harry falling right on her as they slipped into a puddle of water.

"What the heck?" Rohini groaned as Ron helped her on her feet. "Why is it floo-" But she didn't finished her sentence for she was staring, horrified, at the wall.

Something was shining on the wall ahead. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.

 _THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE._

"What's that thing—hanging underneath?" said Ron, a slight quiver in his voice.

As they edged nearer, all four of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash.

"Oh no…" Rohini moaned, covering her mouth with a trembling hand. Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.

A rumble, as though of distant thunder, told them that the feast had just ended. From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends.

The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat and the threatening message left in what looked like blood.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware!"

It was Draco Malfoy. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, smirking at them. Behind him, Rohini saw Padma who was staring at the wall, horrified. Rohini wanted to shout that it wasn't her, that they had just discovered it.

"What's going on here? What's going on?"

Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked.

And his popping eyes fell on Harry.

"You!" he screeched. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll—" He said, grabbing Harry by the collar. Rohini grabbed him by the wrists and twisted them, making him let go of Harry with a yelp.

"I'll kill you too!" He told Rohini, ready to jump on her.

"Argus!"

Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers. In seconds, he had swept past Harry, Rohini, Ron, and Hermione and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.

"Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. Then he turned to the students. "Everyone, go back to your rooms. Now. Except for Mr. and Mrs Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger."

The twins swallowed hard and avoided Dumbledore's stare for they always felt like he was able to read their thoughts when he did and it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

As they entered Lockhart's darkened office for it was the closest one, there was a flurry of movement across the walls; several of the Lockharts in the pictures were dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers. The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back. Dumbledore laid Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her.

The tip of Dumbledore's long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs. Norris's fur. He was looking at her closely through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently prodding and poking. Professor McGonagall was bent almost as close, her eyes narrowed. Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar expression: It was as though he was trying hard not to smile. Rohini wondered if he wasn't the one behind it, after all. When Snape saw her staring, he turned his back to them.

Filch was slumped in a chair by the desk, unable to look at Mrs. Norris, his face in his hands.

Dumbledore was now muttering strange words under his breath and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand but nothing happened: She continued to look as though she had been recently stuffed. Rohini couldn't help but remember the voice's threatening words. What if the thing was responsible for it? Yes, there were no doubt about it. But how did it wrote the text when Harry and she had been following it up so closely?

At last Dumbledore straightened up.

"She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.

"Not dead?" choked Filch, looking through his fingers at Mrs. Norris. "But why's she all—all stiff and frozen?"

"She has been Petrified," said Dumbledore "But how, I cannot say…"

"Ask him!" shrieked Filch, turning his blotched and tearstained face to Harry.

"No second year could have done this," said Dumbledore firmly. "It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced—"

"He did it, he did it!" Filch spat, his pouchy face purpling. "You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found—in my office—he knows I'm a—I'm a—" Filch's face worked horribly. "He knows I'm a Squib!" he finished.

"I never touched Mrs. Norris!" Harry said loudly, uncomfortably aware of everyone looking at him, including all the Lockharts on the walls. "And I don't even know what a Squib is."

"Rubbish!" snarled Filch. "He saw my Kwikspell letter!"

"If I might speak, Headmaster," said Snape from the shadows, and Harry's sense of foreboding increased; he was sure nothing Snape had to say was going to do him any good.

"Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said, a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted it. "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was he in the upstairs corridor at all? Why wasn't he at the Halloween feast?"

"How would you know that?" Rohini asked. The fact Snape was keeping an eye on her brothers' action every day was quite creepy. Was Snape not only a mean guy but also a stalker? The thought made her feel sick.

Harry told them about the deathday party. "…there were hundreds of ghosts, they'll tell you we were there—"

"But why not join the feast afterward?" said Snape, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight. "Why go up to that corridor?"

"We heard something." Rohini said and she felt Harry stepping on her feet. Everybody was looking at them now and she felt suddenly uncomfortably hot, her palms getting all sweaty.

"Did you?" Snape said slowly, raising an eyebrow. Again he seemed almost amused by the situation and Rohini felt the need to tear off his smile from his face.

"We thought we heard a ghost shouting." Harry lied. "Rohini suggested it might have been a lost guest of Sir Nicholas, and so we followed the noise. But when we arrived, there was nobody and then Rohini slipped because the floor was flooded, and we wanted to know what had happened."

Rohini was both annoyed that Harry was lying over something that seemed quite important and impressed by how he had improved his ability to lie on spot. Snape's nasty smile, however, widened.

"I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful," he said. "It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest."

"Really, Severus," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong."

Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look before looking to Rohini who gulped and tried hard not to avoid his gaze. "Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," he said firmly.

Snape looked furious. So did Filch.

"My cat has been Petrified!" he shrieked, his eyes popping. "I want to see some punishment!"

"We will be able to cure her, Argus," said Dumbledore patiently. "Professer Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs. Norris."

"I'll make it," Lockhart butted in. "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep—"

"Excuse me," said Snape icily. "But I believe I am the Potions master at this school."

There was a very awkward pause, broken by Rohini's bad timed giggle. She then cleared her throat and looked away.

"You may go," Dumbledore said to the Potter twins, Ron, and Hermione.

They went as quickly as they could without actually running. When they were a floor up from Lockhart's office, they came into a stop.

"D'you think I should have told them about that voice we heard?" Harry asked.

"Yes." Said Rohini, crossing her arms above her chest.

"No," said Ron, without hesitation. "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world."

Something in Ron's voice made Harry ask, "You do believe me, don't you?"

"'Course I do," said Ron quickly. "But—you must admit it's weird…"

"It wasn't just Harry." Rohini said, standing for her brother. "I heard it too. Just like I feel I've heard about a Chamber of Secret before, but I can't remember where…"

"Me too." Hermione admitted.

"You know, it rings a sort of bell," said Ron slowly. "I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once… might've been Bill…"

"And what on earth's a Squib?" said Harry.

To his surprise, Ron stifled a snigger.

"Well—it's not funny really—but as it's Filch," he said. "A Squib is someone who was born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any magic powers. Kind of the opposite of Muggle-born wizards, but Squibs are quite unusual. If Filch's trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course, I reckon he must be a Squib. It would explain a lot. Like why he hates students so much." Ron gave a satisfied smile. "He's bitter."

A clock chimed somewhere.

"Midnight," said Harry. "We'd better get to bed before Snape comes along and tries to frame us for something else."

"Be careful." Rohini said, hugging Harry before leaving for the Ravenclaw dorm. The corridors seemed more threatening now and she kept looking around like a scared mouse. Nobody slept well that night, all wondering what the Chamber of Secret could be and what it must have been keeping in.


	9. Chapter 9

Hello! I would like to thank you guys for following and leaving kind comments on this fic. I'm glad you all seem to enjoy Rohini!

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For a few days, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs. Norris. Filch kept it fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked, as though he thought the attacker might come back. Rohini never thought she would feel sorry for the man, but she did. As awful as he was, she understood his pain; she would never get over it if something happened to Thranduil.

The attack had also had an effect on Hermione. It was quite usual for Hermione to spend a lot of time reading, but she was now doing almost nothing else. Even Rohini got no information from her.

She wasn't the only one acting odd; people had begun to avoid Harry and her. She didn't realise at first for she was never paying much attention to the other students. But she was talking to Padma about their Potions assignment when they walked past Zach, a fellow Ravenclaw, who didn't answer when Rohini said hello and actually took the opposite direction from their next classroom.

During lunch break, she decided to exile herself to the library and found Hermione, surrounded by books and looking quite moody, her hair all over the place.

"All the copies of _Hogwarts, A History_ have been taken out," she said as Rohini sat by her side. "And there's a two-week waiting list. I wish I hadn't left my copy at home, but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books."

"I think I've heard Luna said she had hers, I could ask to borrow it for you if you want to." Rohini said and Hermione looked at her with stars in her eyes. "Why do you need it?"

"The same reason everyone else wants it," said Hermione, "to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets."

"Understandable." Rohini said, her eyes following two Hufflepuffs students who had been pointing at her and whispering. "Said, Hermione. Have you heard strange rumours about Harry and I lately?"

But before Hermione could answer, the bell rang again. Rohini groaned for she had two hours of DADA with the Hufflepuffs right now. Hermione seemed quite envious for she had to go to History of Magic, one of their dullest classes ever.

For the first time this year, Rohini considered skipping classes. She loved studying and learning new things, but she wasn't in the mood to deal with Lockhart's ego and the nervous glances threw her way. The teacher was late when she joined Padma and the rest of the students in front of the classroom and a few boys stepped away as if she had the flu. Padma pretended she didn't see it and Rohini was grateful for that.

"I don't get it." Rohini said. "Is it because of Mrs. Norris? Even Dumbledore said it wasn't our doing!"

"It's more complicated than that." Padma said as they get inside the classroom and sat on the back of the classroom. It was the only class where Rohini refused to sit on the front row, much to Padma's displeasure.

"What do you mean? Did you hear something?" Rohini asked and Padma bit her lips, looking around before leading closer.

"It's because of the message on the wall. You know, the whole Heir thing."

"Yeah?"

"Well, apparently some people have been spreading the lie that whatever it means, Harry was probably the heir and since you're his twin…"

"They think we opened this chamber of Secret together? _Us_?" Rohini said, baffled. "Oh come on, why would we do that? Since when are we the bad guys? We went as far as saving Hogwarts from You-Know-Who last year!"

"I know, I believe you. But you know how some people are." She said, glancing at Lisa Turpin who was looking at Lockhart with hearts in her eyes. Rohini said nothing, feeling moody for the rest of the day.

Xxx

She was leaving the Great Hall after dinner when Harry caught her and leaded her to an empty corridor where Hermione and Ron were waiting.

"We know what the Chamber of Secret is." Hermione said, beeming. "I asked Professor Binns earlier."

"Never seen so many people listening to him." Ron said. Rohini shushed him, telling Hermione to continue.

"It took place back during the founding of Hogwarts. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."

"Could explain why everybody hates the Slytherins." Rohini said. She never truly gave it a thought before. "Keep going."

"The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing. Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic." Hermione finally finished and silence followed.

"Who can it be, though?" she said in a quiet voice. "Who'd want to frighten all the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?"

"Let's think," said Ron in mock puzzlement. "Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?"

"Malfoy." The twins said in unison.

"Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?" said Hermione sceptically. "I know he's bad but-"

"Hermione, you heard him call you a Mudblood." Rohini pointed out. Somehow, Rohini felt like there was something she was missing but she couldn't identify what.

"Look at his family," said Harry. "The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin; he's always boasting about it. They could easily be Slytherin's descendants. His father's definitely evil enough."

"They could've had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries!" said Ron. "Handing it down, father to son…"

"Well," said Hermione cautiously, "I suppose it's possible…"

"But how do we prove it?" said Harry darkly.

"There might be a way," said Hermione slowly, dropping her voice still further with a quick glance across the corridor. Two Gryffindors boys saw them and ran away with a nervous look at the twins. "Of course, it would be difficult. And dangerous, very dangerous. We'd be breaking about fifty school rules, I expect…"

"What we'd need to do is to get inside the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realizing it's us." Rohini cut her.

"But that's impossible," Harry said as Ron laughed.

"No, it's not," said Hermione. "All we'd need would be some Polyjuice Potion."

"What's that?" said Ron and Harry together. The girls groaned.

"Do you never listen in class?" Rohini asked. "It transforms you into somebody else. You look just like their twin."

"It wears off after a while," said Hermione. "But getting hold of the recipe will be very difficult. Snape said it was in a book called _Moste Potente Potions_ and it's bound to be in the Restricted Section of the library."

"We could send Harry." Rohini said. "You have dad's Invisibility Cloak after all."

"You're right!" Hermione said. "Harry, I hate to say it but you need to sneak out and get this book for me."

Harry agreed though he didn't seem that excited about it and promised to get it the following night. They didn't spoke much after that for Percy spotted them and send them back to their respective dorms after a fight with Ron.

Two days later, the four of them were barricaded in Moaning Myrtle's out-of-order bathroom once again. Hermione had overridden Ron's objections by pointing out that it was the last place anyone in their right minds would go, so they were guaranteed some privacy. Moaning Myrtle was crying noisily in her stall, but they were ignoring her, and she them.

Hermione opened _Moste Potente Potions_ carefully. It was clear from a glance why it belonged in the Restricted Section. Some of the potions had effects almost too gruesome to think about, and there were some very unpleasant illustrations, which included a man who seemed to have been turned inside out and a witch sprouting several extra pairs of arms out of her head.

"I think I'm gonna have nightmares for days." Rohini said, gulping loudly. "Years, even."

"Here it is," said Hermione excitedly as she found the page headed The Polyjuice Potion. It was decorated with drawings of people halfway through transforming into other people. They all sincerely hoped the artist had imagined the looks of intense pain on their faces.

"This is the most complicated potion I've ever seen," said Hermione as they scanned the recipe. "Lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed, and knotgrass," she murmured, running her finger down the list of ingredients. "Well, they're easy enough, they're in the student store-cupboard, we can help ourselves… Oooh, look, powdered horn of a bicorn—don't know where we're going to get that—shredded skin of a boomslang—that'll be tricky, too—and of course a bit of whoever we want to change into."

"Excuse me?" said Ron sharply. "What d'you mean, a bit of whoever we're changing into? I'm drinking nothing with Crabbe's body fluid or anything like that in."

"Thanks for the mental picture, Ron." Rohini grimaced. Hermione continued as though she hadn't heard them.

"We don't have to worry about that yet, though, because we add those bits last…"

"D'you realize how much we're going to have to steal, Hermione?" Harry said, reading the list once more. "Shredded skin of a boomslang, that's definitely not in the students' cupboard. What're we going to do, break into Snape's private stores? I don't know if this is a good idea…"

"Oh, come on. I'm sure he'll not realise a bit of everything is missing. He probably has too much for his own personal use anyway." Rohini shrugged. "Again, use dad's cloak, it should be fine. I'll do it if you don't want to."

"I don't want to break rules, you know. I think threatening Muggle-borns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion." Hermione said and the boys sighed, defeated.

"All right, we'll do it. But no body fluids, okay?" Ron said.

"How long will it take to make, anyway?" said Harry as Hermione, looking happier, opened the book again.

"Well, since the fluxweed has got to be picked at the full moon and the lacewings have got to be stewed for twenty-one days… I'd say it'd be ready in about a month, if we can get all the ingredients."

"A month?" said Ron. "Malfoy could have attacked half the Muggle-borns in the school by then!"

"Well, tell me if you have another solution." Rohini said, raising an eyebrow.

"Harry could knock Malfoy off his broom tomorrow?" Ron suggested and Rohini realised it was going to be the first match between Gryffindor and Slytherin since Malfoy became a seeker.

"You know what, maybe we should pay your brothers to knock him off, yeah." She said to Ron and Hermione slapped them both with a book.

Xxx

As eleven o'clock approached the next morning, the whole school started to make its way down to the Quidditch stadium. It was a muggy sort of day with a hint of thunder in the air. Rohini casted a spell at Harry's glasses so it would repeal water in case it began to rain. She then hugged him tight and wished him good luck before joining Padma and Luna.

"Wow, you look great!" Rohini said, surprised, as she looked at Luna's lion head hat. "I'm sure Harry will appreciate the support." Luna smiled brightly and helped the girls to unroll a Gryffindor banner Rohini had kept since Harry's first match.

Finally, the two teams entered the field. Madam Hooch, the Flying teacher, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands, which they did, giving each other threatening stares and gripping rather harder than was necessary. Rohini grabbed the binoculars Padma was handing her and stared at Harry.

"On my whistle," said Madam Hooch. "Three… two… one…"

With a roar from the crowd to speed them upward, the fourteen players rose toward the leaden sky. Harry flew higher than any of them, squinting around for the Snitch. Rohini couldn't help but feel anxious about it. Looking at the crowd for a second, she clenched her teeth when she recognised Mr. Malfoy sitting among the teachers. Rohini couldn't wait to see his face when Harry will beat his son.

Suddenly, a heavy black Bludger came pelting toward Harry who avoided it so narrowly that Rohini yelped.

"Close one, Harry!" said George, streaking past him with his club in his hand, ready to knock the Bludger back toward a Slytherin. George gave the Bludger a powerful whack in the direction of Adrian Pucey, but the Bludger changed direction in midair and shot straight for Harry again.

"Something is wrong." Rohini said, looking helplessly as the Bludger went after Harry as if it had a will on its own.

Harry dropped quickly to avoid it, and George managed to hit it hard toward Malfoy. Once again, the Bludger swerved like a boomerang and shot at Harry's head.

Harry put on a burst of speed and zoomed toward the other end of the field. Bludgers never concentrated on one player like this; it was their job to try and unseat as many people as possible. Fred Weasley was waiting for the Bludger at the other end. Harry ducked as Fred swung at the Bludger with all his might; the Bludger was knocked off course. Rohini cheered at the Weasleys for trying to save Harry.

"Gotcha!" Fred yelled happily, but he was wrong; as though it was magnetically attracted to Harry, the Bludger pelted after him once more and Harry was forced to fly off at full speed. Lee Jordan's angry voice was echoing through the stadium, Professor McGonagall trying to calm him down.

"It's cheating! Somebody must have jinxed this Bludger!" He was shouting, the Slytherins cheering loudly.

The rain was falling heavily now and everybody was looking grim. Rohini didn't understand why nobody was trying to stop the game which was obviously not fair. For an agonizing moment, Harry hung in midair, not daring to speed toward Malfoy in case he looked up and saw the Snitch… but he had stayed still a second too long.

The Bludger had hit him at last, smashed into his elbow and Rohini screamed, horrified, as Harry's arm seemed to break. The Bludger came pelting back for a second attack, this time aiming at his face—Harry swerved out of the way and suddenly he dived towards Malfoy as if he was going to attack him. It didn't take long for Rohini to understand for she saw something shiny close to Malfoy. The Snitch!

Malfoy must have seen it too but Harry was already quite ahead and the two seekers began to race for victory. No matter how fast Malfoy's broomstick was, Harry had more experience and he used his knowledge wisely. Malfoy, confused by one of Harry's move, lost control of his broom and ended up falling to the ground in a painful position. Rohini didn't miss Lucius Malfoy's grimace and would have feel pleased about it if it wasn't for the fact the Bludger was still after Harry.

Harry, who took his remaining hand off his broom and made a wild snatch; his fingers closing on the cold Snitch but since he was now only gripping the broom with his legs he tripped over and the crowd yelled as he hit the ground in a loud crash.

Rohini shouted his name and ran down to the middle of the stadium. As the Bludger headed to Harry again, she grabbed her hand and shouted " _Finite incantatem!"_ making the hard ball explode in a small firework fashion.

She then kneeled next to Harry and gave him a concerned look.

"You ok?" She asked.

"I won against Malfoy and knocked him off his broom." Harry said and Rohini was going to lecture him about priorities when Lockhart pushed her away and grabbed Harry's broken arm.

"Oh, no, not you," Harry moaned.

"Doesn't know what he's saying," said Lockhart loudly to the anxious crowd of Gryffindors pressing around them. "Not to worry, Harry. I'm about to fix your arm."

"No!" said Harry. "I'll keep it like this, thanks…"

He tried to sit up, but the pain was terrible. He heard a familiar clicking noise nearby.

"I don't want a photo of this, Colin," he said loudly.

"Lie back, Harry," said Lockhart soothingly. "It's a simple charm I've used countless times—"

"Oh hell no!" Rohini said, trying to take off Lockhart's strong grip from Harry's wrist. "You're not gonna screw up my brother's arm. He needs it!"

"Now, now, I understand that you're feeling a bit emotional at this terrible sight Miss Potter, but really I know what I'm doing." Lockhart said though his smile seemed faked now.

"No—don't—" Rohini said, but Lockhart was twirling his wand and a second later had directed it straight at Harry's arm. They looked in horror as Harry's arm became all boneless and flappy.

"Ah," said Lockhart. "Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the point is, the bones are no longer broken."

"He doesn't have bones anymore, you little-" Rohini began, caught by the Weasleys twins who pulled her away from their stupid teacher while Hagrid helped Harry to his feet and dragged him to the Hospital Wing. Needless to say, Madam Pomfrey wasn't at all pleased.

"You should have come straight to me!" she raged, holding up the sad, limp remainder of what, half an hour before, had been a working arm. "I can mend bones in a second—but growing them back—"

"You will be able to, won't you?" said Harry desperately.

"I'll be able to, certainly, but it will be painful," said Madam Pomfrey grimly, throwing Harry a pair of pajamas. "You'll have to stay the night…"

Hermione and Rohini waited outside the curtain drawn around Harry's bed while Ron helped him into his pajamas.

"I can't believe they are still keeping him as a teacher. The only place he has at Hogwarts is to be part of the first years. He doesn't even know the basics!" Rohini was fuming, pacing in front of Hermione. "How can you still love him, Hermione?!"

"Anyone can make a mistake," said Hermione, though she didn't sound so sure anymore. "And it doesn't hurt anymore, does it, Harry?"

"No," said Harry, getting into bed. "But it doesn't do anything else either."

As he swung himself onto the bed, his arm flapped pointlessly. Madam Pomfrey came back holding a large bottle of something labelled _Skele-Gro_.

"You're in for a rough night," she said, pouring out a steaming beakerful and handing it to him. "Regrowing bones is a nasty business."

Harry had only took one sip that he began to cough and splutter. Still tut-tutting about dangerous sports and inept teachers, Madam Pomfrey retreated.

"We won, though," said Ron, a grin breaking across his face. "That was some catch you made. Malfoy's face… he looked ready to kill…"

"I don't think victory is what matter the most right now." Rohini said with a frown. "Somebody tried to kill Harry again, in case you had forgotten."

"Maybe it was Lockhart. He probably screwed up and gave the Bludger the need to stalk Harry." Ron said and Hermione looked offended.

The door of the hospital wing burst open at that moment. Filthy and soaking wet, the rest of the Gryffindor team had arrived to see Harry.

"Unbelievable flying, Harry," said George. "I've just seen Marcus Flint yelling at Malfoy. Something about having the Snitch on top of his head and not noticing. Malfoy didn't seem too happy."

They had brought cakes, sweets, and bottles of pumpkin juice; they gathered around Harry's bed and were just getting started on what promised to be a good party when Madam Pomfrey came storming over, shouting, "This boy needs rest, he's got thirty-three bones to regrow! Out! OUT!"

Rohini tried to convince the witch to let her stay, in vain. Padma, Luna and Ginny were waiting outside for her, asking about Harry. Ginny seemed paler than usual and her lips were trembling. Rohini gently rubbed her back, promising Harry will be fine.

Students only talked about the match for the rest of the day, the Chamber of Secrets all forgotten.

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I apology if this chapter isn't as good as the rest. I had to leave my cat at my mum's place for the week end and mum let her run away because apparently keeping an eye on my cat was too hard for her. She's been missing for three days now, and I can hardly think of anything else.

Also the next updates might be slower for I might have found a job as a maid in a hotel which will take pretty much all my time.  
Still, thank you for sticking up with me and this story. I appreciate it a lot.


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning, Rohini waited in front of the Hospital Wing for Harry to come out. She was slightly dazing off when her brother finally appeared, his arm properly healed. If Rohini was glad to see him in good shape again, she lost her smile when Harry told her that not only did Dobby the House Elf was the one responsible for all his troubles but there was a new victim of the Chamber of Secrets: Colin Creevey.

"Oh no, not Colin!" Rohini said as they headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. "I mean, sure he was a bit annoying with his camera, but he's such a tiny, innocent boy!"

"Dumbledore confirmed that the Chamber was real." Harry said. "Not only that, but it had apparently already been opened in the past."

"What, seriously? Then why did Professor Binns denied it? I mean, he's old and dead, he surely had heard of it?" Rohini said, confused.

"Yeah, that's odd." Harry admitted with a frown. They had finally reached the Great Hall and as soon as they entered, everybody looked at them and the conversations quieted down until the twins had sit down at their respective table. Rohini felt her skin got covered in goosebumps.

"I'm sorry." Padma whispered to her and Rohini nodded. Luna gently rubbed her back and assured her she didn't think Rohini or Harry were the so called heir that lashed out a mysterious creature on Muggleborns.

"Thanks, Luna." Rohini said, giving her a weak smile. If only everybody could be so easily to convince…

The news that Colin Creevey had been attacked and was now lying as though dead in the hospital wing had spread through the entire school in less than 24 hours. The air was suddenly thick with rumour and suspicion, mainly aiming at the Potter twins except from one or two sane people saying it would be most likely a Slytherin.

Ginny Weasley, who sat next to Colin Creevey in Charms, was distraught, but Harry felt that Fred and George were going the wrong way about cheering her up. They were taking turns covering themselves with fur or boils and jumping out at her from behind statues. Rohini had told them to stop for it would only make her hate them.

Ginny told her she was having nightmares and barely slept and indeed, she looked quite pale. She refused to tell Rohini what was wrong and even playing with Thranduil wasn't cheering her up as much as it used to. Luna was doing her best too, sitting with her when they had a common class and trying to distract her by giving her unusual and very Luna-like gifts.

Xxx

Classes were becoming harder but Rohini managed to stay a top student. She stayed out late helping Padma with their assignments or helping Hermione with the Polyjuice potion. Before they realised it, winter was only a few days away and already the whole castle felt colder. Luckily, there hadn't been another attack yet though the rumours didn't die. Rohini was also panicking about not finding a proper Christmas gift for everybody on her list, which was made of:

Mr and Mrs Weasleys, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Padma, Hagrid, Harry and Luna.

In the second week of December Professor McGonagall came around as usual, collecting names of those who would be staying at school for Christmas. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Rohini signed her list; they had heard that Malfoy was staying, which struck them as very suspicious.

Unfortunately, the potion was only half finished. They still needed the bicorn horn and the boomslang skin, and the only place they were going to get them was from Snape's private stores. Four days before Christmas, they all met up in the bathroom to set up a plan.

"What we need," said Hermione briskly as Thursday afternoon's double Potions lesson loomed nearer, "is a diversion."

"Shouldn't be too hard. Maybe we can convince Peeves to do the job for us?"

"I wouldn't risk it if I were you. Who knows, maybe he'll snitch to Snape instead." Ron said and he was right; Peeves was too unpredictable for this.

"We should be the one playing the thieves." Rohini told Hermione. "The boys almost got expelled once; we can't risk them to be gone for good. Plus, it should be easy if we use Dad's cloak. Do we really need a distraction?"

"True…" Hermione said, thinking about it. The boys seemed quite relieved about not having to deal with Snape's wrath for disrupting his class. "We'll go tonight, then. I'll pick you up behind the statue of the old witch next to the Ravenclaw tower."

"Harry, you should give Hermione your Two Way Mirror too, just in case." Rohini said and Harry nodded. Then, they all stared in silence at the disgusting looking potion Hermione was brewing. Then Rohini excused herself and ran to the Main Gates, right in time to see Padma leave. They hugged each other for a long time and Padma promised to send her more of the Indian pastries Rohini was extremely fond of.

"Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." Padma said thought Rohini didn't miss her little wink and knowing smile.

"Me, being troublesome? Never." Rohini said and Padma giggled before following Parvati outside. Sighing, Rohini stood up alone for a while until Luna appeared, still barefoot even though the marble floor was probably freezing.

"Goodbye, Rohini." She said as Rohini hugged her. "I can't wait to tell dad about you and Ginny."

"Good things, I hope." Rohini teased and Luna smiled though she didn't answer. Rohini always thought it was a bit lonely, to see her friends leaving when she stayed behind. But at least she would spend Christmas with Harry, Ron and Hermione so it wasn't too bad.

Plus, the dorms were pretty much empty now which mean it would be easier to sneak out that night. Around ten, Hermione contacted her via the Two Way Mirror, sounding like a nervous mouse. Rohini didn't have to wait for too long that a floating hand touched her and Hermione lifted the cloak so Rohini could come under.

"I can't believe we're going to break another rule." Hermione said, half scandalised half excited. "What would Lockhart think of it?"

"I doubt he's able of much thinking." Rohini pointed out and Hermione elbowed her as they reached Snape's classroom.

" _Alohomora_." Rohini whispered to unlock the door. It didn't take long for them to find what they were looking for and Hermione thankfully remembered to lock the door again behind them.

"I was thinking," Rohini began as they walked back to the Ravenclaw dorm, "Why do they even bother to use locks when we all can learn _Alohomora_? Like, of course muggle wouldn't be able to do that but except from Filch, we're all wizards and witches here. It's stupid."

"Yeah, that's a bit odd. Maybe they just like the appearance of it." Hermione suggested before yawning. "Goodnight and thanks for your help."

"You're welcome. See you tomorrow!" Rohini said before sneaking back inside the dorm as silently as she could. Lisa Turpin was snoring loudly, just like the two other Ravenclaw girls sharing her bedroom. Rohini was lucky for she was the only one in her five beds room staying for Christmas. Thranduil was asleep on Padma's empty bed when Rohini came back and threw her a nasty glance when she slipped under her blanket, as if saying "Why did you leave me?"

Xxx

On the 22th of December, they were walking across the entrance hall when they saw a small knot of people gathered around the notice board, reading a piece of parchment that had just been pinned up. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas beckoned them over, looking excited. Rohini tried to look above their shoulders, tip toing, but the two boys were way too tall.

"They're starting a Duelling Club!" Seamus told her. "First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind duelling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days…"

"What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel?" said Ron, but he, too, read the sign with interest.

"Could be useful," Rohini admitted as they went into dinner. "Shall we go?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione were all for it, so at eight o'clock that evening they hurried back to the Great Hall. The long dining tables had vanished and a golden stage had appeared along one wall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. Everybody who hadn't leave yet or was staying for Christmas was here, looking excited.

"I wonder who'll be teaching us?" said Hermione as they edged into the chattering crowd. "Someone told me Flitwick was a duelling champion when he was young—maybe it'll be him."

"That would be a logical choice, yeah." Rohini agreed. She, too, had heard of Professor Flitwick's skills before.

"As long as it's not—" Harry began, but he ended on a groan: Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep plum and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black.

Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called, "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!"

"Oh you've got to be kiddin' me." Rohini grunted, face palming. Looking around, she realised she was probably not the only one considering leaving. Malfoy was complaining a few steps away and Evelyn Rose, a Hufflepuff girl, was trying to convince her friends to go back to their common room.

"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions—for full details, see my published works." Lockhart said with one of his stupid laugh.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," he added, flashing a wide smile. Snape threw him a nasty glance and Rohini wondered if he would try to murder Lockhart "accidentally" during their demo.

"He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry—you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"

Snape's upper lip was curling and Rohini was pretty sure that there was higher risk that Hogwarts would need a new DADA teacher instead.

"Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?" Ron muttered and Harry snorted.

"If Snape had been looking at me like that I'd have been running as fast as I could in the opposite direction." Harry pointed out and Rohini agreed.

Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them.

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Harry murmured, watching Snape baring his teeth.

"One—two—three—"

Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape shouted " _Expelliarmus_!" before Lockhart could do anything else than blinking.

There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor.

Malfoy and some of the other Slytherins cheered and Rohini didn't feel guilty when she did the same. Hermione was dancing on tiptoes. "Do you think he's all right?" she squealed.

"Who cares?" the twins and Ron said in unison.

Lockhart was getting unsteadily to his feet. His hat had fallen off and his wavy hair was standing on end.

"Well, there you have it!" he said, tottering back onto the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm—as you see, I've lost my wand—ah, thank you, Miss Brown—yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy—however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see…"

Snape was looking murderous. Possibly Lockhart had noticed, because he said, "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me—"

They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Snape reached Harry and Ron first.

"Time to split up the dream team, I think," he sneered. "Weasley, you can partner Finnigan. Potter—"

Rohini came closer to her brother but Snape shook his head.

"I don't think so," said Snape, smiling coldly. "Mr. Malfoy, come over here. Let's see what you make of the famous Potter. You will pair with the sister once you're done with the brother."

Malfoy strutted over, smirking. Rohini caught him by the arm.

"Try anything funny and I will make sure even your mother will not recognise you." She threatened him and Malfoy looked down at her before pulling away from her grip.

"Face your partners!" called Lockhart, back on the platform. "And bow!"

Harry and Malfoy barely inclined their heads, not taking their eyes off each other.

"Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents—only to disarm them—we don't want any accidents—one… two… three—"

Harry swung his wand high, but Malfoy had already started on "two": His spell hit Harry so hard he felt as though he'd been hit over the head with a saucepan. He stumbled, but everything still seemed to be working, and wasting no more time, Harry pointed his wand straight at Malfoy and shouted, " _Rictusempra_!"

A jet of silver light hit Malfoy in the stomach and he doubled up, wheezing.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted in alarm over the heads of the battling crowd, as Malfoy sank to his knees; Harry had hit him with a Tickling Charm, and he could barely move for laughing. Gasping for breath, Malfoy pointed his wand at Harry's knees, choked, " _Tarantallegra_!" and the next second Harry's legs began to jerk around out of his control in a kind of quickstep.

" _Finite Incantatem_!" Rohini shouted and Harry's feet stopped dancing. Snape shouted the same thing and Malfoy stopped laughing, throwing a murderous glance at Harry. The boys' hair were a real mess, though it wasn't something new for Harry.

"Dear, dear," said Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels. "Up you go, Macmillan… Careful there, Miss Fawcett… Pinch it hard, it'll stop bleeding in a second, Boot. I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," said Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall.

He glanced at Snape, whose black eyes glinted, and looked quickly away. "Let's have a volunteer pair—Weasley and-"

"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat. "Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. How about Malfoy and Potter?" said Snape with a twisted smile.

"Which one?" The twins asked at the same time.

"Let's give Miss Potter her own little moment of fame!" Lockhart said, gesturing at Rohini who tried to hide away but was grabbed by Snape and pulled towards the stage. She fidgeted with her wand, trying to remember every spells she knew. Malfoy was smirking, probably thinking she'll not be too much trouble. _Fool_.

"Now, Rohini," said Lockhart. "When Draco points his wand at you, you do this."

He raised his own wand, attempted a complicated sort of wiggling action, and dropped it. Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it up, saying, "Whoops—my wand is a little overexcited—"

"You must be kidding me." Rohini said, deadpan.

Snape moved closer to Malfoy, bent down, and whispered something in his ear. Malfoy smirked wider. Rohini glanced at Harry who gave her a thumb up. Then, she stood up a step away from Malfoy and they both raised their wand.

"Scared Potter?" muttered Malfoy, so that Lockhart couldn't hear him.

"You wish," Rohini spat.

The second after, Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, " _Serpensortia_!"

The whole crowd screamed as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike.

"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, probably thinking Rohini was terrified. She wasn't. "I'll get rid of it…"

"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.

"Wait, no!" Rohini shouted and the snake froze before slowly turning its head towards her. "Please, don't attack him. Harry, tell him not to attack!" She told Harry who was closer.

"Stay right here." Harry told the snake who blinked but obeyed. "Do as she said. Please."

"Good boy." Rohini said stupidly.

"What do you think you're playing at?" Justin suddenly before storming out of the hall. Silence had fallen and everybody was looking at the twins in either terror or disgust.

Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at them in an unexpected way: It was a shrewd and calculating look. Even Lockhart had lost his smile.

Rohini, distressed, get down the stage and didn't understand why people stepped away. Ron and Hermione, looking grim, grabbed the twins and steered them out of the hall. Rohini's vision was getting a bit blurry now and she could only hear her heartbeats.

"You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?" Ron finally said as they stopped in an empty corridor.

"We're a what?" said Harry.

"Parselmouth. Means we can talk to snakes." Rohini explained. "I read about it once. Could explain the accident at the zoo."

"Oh, right!," said Harry before explaining to his friends: "I mean, that's only the second time we've ever done it. We accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once—long story—but it was telling us it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to and—"

"A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?" Ron repeated faintly.

"So?" said Harry. "I bet loads of people here can do it."

"Oh, no they can't," said Ron and Rohini in unison.

"It's not a very common. But I don't see where the problem is? I mean, thanks to us the snake didn't attack."

"What's so bad about it, really?" said Harry, starting to feel quite angry. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if we hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin—"

"Oh, that's what you said to it?"

"Of course!" Rohini snapped. "Seriously Ron, what the heck?"

"I heard you speaking _Parseltongue_ ," said Ron. "Snake language. You could have been saying anything—no wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snake on or something—it was creepy, you know—"

"Oh come on!" Rohini yelled, ignoring the grumpy portraits around them. She was feeling betrayed by Ron and Hermione right now and so did Harry judging by his face.

"D'you want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a massive snake biting off Justin's head?" he said. "What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?"

"It matters," said Hermione, speaking at last in a hushed voice, "because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent."

"Exactly," said Ron. "And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-grandchildren or something—"

"But we're not," said Harry, with a panic he couldn't quite explain.

"You'll find that hard to prove," said Hermione. "He lived about a thousand years ago; for all we know, you could be."

"If I have to go through a thousand family trees to prove you're wrong, Hermione, then I will." Rohini said, furious, before storming away to the Ravenclaw dorm where she hid under her blanket for the rest of the evening. She couldn't sleep, thinking about it over and over. Parsetongue. She never truly cared about being able to speak it, unaware of its bad reputation.

It also felt like a warning of some kind. Slytherin, grandchildren, parsetongue… but before she could come up with anything, she fell into a troubled slee

Xx

X

x

p.

I hope it doesn't show in my writing, but i'm at the bottom of a well. My cat is still missing, i've been wandering around looking for her for three day straight until late at night, I just began a new job as a cleaning lady in a hotel with really mean owners, I'm exhausted both physically and mentally and I can't see the end of the tunnel right now.

This fic is one of the only things I enjoy rn so it means a lot to me that you guys are reading it. Thank you 3


	11. Chapter 11

The first thing Rohini noticed when she woke up was that it was deadly cold. Groaning, she wondered if she had left the window opened by mistake.

The second thing she noticed was the snow, thick and falling hard, covering everything under a white coat. Rohini gasped; if there was anything she loved more than rain, it was snowing. Hurrying to get dressed in warm clothes (she made sure to wear Mrs. Weasley sweater), scratched Thranduil's head and left the dorm.

Her gleeful mood vanished however when she crossed path with a few students who threw her worried glances before running away. Rohini realised it was just as annoying as having people looking at Harry and she with stars in their eyes and gushing about them.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy decorating the Great Hall. Rohini wanted to eat breakfast with Harry but he was nowhere to be seen and she was still bitter about Ron and Hermione's reaction so she decided to eat with the Weasley twins and Ginny instead. Fred dramatically gasped as she sat next to him.

"Beware!" He said, hiding behind George. "The Heiress of Slytherin is after me!"

"Fred, you're not even Muggleborn." Rohini pointed out, smiling against her will. "That wasn't your greatest joke."

"How dare you!" George said, hugging his brother. "Hurting our feelings like that!"

"Idiots." The girls said in unison.

Ginny had somehow gotten even paler now and Rohini wondered if she should send her to the Hospital Wing. Ginny showed no symptoms of any kind of illness except from her exhausted expression though. Rohini felt like an awful friend for being unable to cheer her up properly.

By the opened gates, she caught a glimpse of Harry storming away and hurried to go after him, a toast in her mouth.

Harry just bumped into Hagrid, covered in snow, when Rohini reached them.

"Oh, hello, Hagrid," Harry said, looking up as Rohini helped him on his feet again.

Hagrid's face was entirely hidden by a woolly, snow-covered balaclava, but it couldn't possibly be anyone else, as he filled most of the corridor in his moleskin overcoat. A dead rooster was hanging from one of his massive, gloved hands.

"Is it tonight's dinner?" Rohini asked and Hagrid shook his head.

"Second one killed this term," he explained. "It's either foxes or a Blood-Suckin' Bugbear, an' I need the headmaster's permission ter put a charm around the hen coop."

"I'm sorry, Hagrid." Rohini said. She knew he could be quite sentimental about animals. He had been heartbroken last year when his baby dragon, Norbert, was sent to a colony in Romania where Ron's brother, Charlie, worked.

"Yeh sure yeh're all righ'? Yeh look all hot an' bothered—" Hagrid asked Harry and Rohini realised he looked worse than the previous evening.

"I think he just needs a sibling moment." Rohini assured Hagrid before dragging Harry away. "See you at lunch, Hagrid! Good luck with your chickens!"

She dragged Harry to the girl bathroom where she shooed Moaning Myrtle away before looking at Harry worryingly.

"Hey." She said, gently rubbing his back. "What's wrong?"

"My life." Harry said and Rohini rolled her eyes. Her brother could be such a drama queen sometimes. Still, she waited for him to tell her what had happened for him to look so gloomy. Finally, he told her the awful episode from that morning. Needless to say, Rohini was furious.

"He said _what_? What the heck, what is it with prejudices against people's unusual skills?! Just because we can speak to snakes doesn't mean we're bad guys!" Rohini said, waving her hands angrily. "I'm slowly beginning to feel some sympathy towards the few good Slytherins that had to deal with their house reputation…"

"You know what? Me too." Harry sighed. Then, he changed the subject to something more festive. "Did you find all your Christmas gifts by the way?"

"Yep!" Rohini said, striking a pose. "I just hope everybody will be pleased with theirs. Tell me, what did you get for your favourite sister?" She asked and Harry raised his eyebrows.

"I have no idea who you're talking about." He said, grinning and Rohini gently slapped his arm. "It's a secret. You'll see tomorrow."

"Is it Dad's cloak? You know I would love you forever if it was."

"In your dreams." Harry said and Rohini pouted. Before they could tease each other more, the door opened on Ron and Hermione. Rohini's smile dropped and their friends had the decency to look ashamed.

"Hello." Hermione said, trying to sound casual. "I knew I would find you here."

"Oh, really?" Rohini said, crossing her arms. "Did a snake show you the way to the Slytherin Heirs?"

"Oh come on, don't be so petty!" Ron said and Rohini was going to snap but Harry told her to calm down. "We're sorry, ok? But try to understand us!"

"Let's forget about it for now." Harry said before turning to Hermione. "How is the potion going? It looks disgusting."

They all took a look at the thick, grey, bubbly brew and grimaced. They sure weren't looking to drinking it.

"It will be ready soon." Hermione said.

"Good." Harry said with a nod.

"Good." Rohini repeated and they all stood up awkwardly until Moaning Myrtle came back and chased them away with her high pitched cries.

Xxx

Christmas morning dawned, cold and white. Rohini was awoken by a meowing Thranduil that was kneading her back. Grunting, she stayed in bed for a few more minutes before getting her Two Way Mirror to contact Harry.

"Merry Christmas, baby brother." She said and Harry remained her that nobody knew which one of them was born first. Hermione must have grabbed Harry's mirror for her face appeared, beaming.

"The potion is ready. We'll be able to do it tonight." She said and Rohini felt instantly more awake. "Thanks for the book, by the way. I haven't read this one yet."

"Glad to hear that." Rohini said. She didn't feel angry at Hermione anymore. It was Christmas, after all. "How about the guys?"

"Thanks for the chocolates." She heard Ron said. "They're delicious."

"Uncle Vernon sends me a note telling us to find out whether we'd be able to stay at Hogwarts for the summer vacation, too." Harry told her. "Wish we could."

"Same." Rohini sighed. "Liked your Broomstick cleaning set?" She asked and Harry nodded with a smile. "Hold on, I'm gonna see what I've got this year!"

She was amazed to discover a few gifts addressed to her; it was only the second Christmas were Harry and she got presents. Hagrid had sent her a large tin of homemade fudge that stuck to the teeth, Hermione had bought her a book about every magical birds living in America which, thanks god, wasn't written by Lockhart.

Harry had bought her a new pair of jeans and Rohini was really grateful for it. There was also a new hand knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley, this time a beautiful green shade with a huge yellow "R" on it. She had also received a special edition of The Quibbler and adorable sunflower earrings from Luna.

Her last gift was from Padma and Rohini felt a huge fondness for her best friend as she opened the box and saw the delicious pastries she had made as well as a lovely necklace with what looked like an Amethyst hanging from it.

"Ok guys, meeting you up in the Great Hall." She said before going back to her bedroom to get dressed. Wearing her new sweater and jeans proudly, she then left the dorm while whistling a Christmas tune.

The Great Hall looked magnificent. Not only were there a dozen frost-covered Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe crisscrossing the ceiling, but enchanted snow was falling, warm and dry, from the ceiling. Dumbledore led them in a few of his favorite carols to the teachers' displeasure. Percy, who hadn't noticed that Fred had bewitched his prefect badge so that it now read "Pin-head," kept asking them all what they were sniggering at. Harry and Rohini didn't even care that Draco Malfoy was making loud, snide remarks about their new sweater from the Slytherin table.

All in all, Rohini was pretty sure that nothing could waste this perfect day.

 _Oh, how wrong she was_.

Xxx

She left the Great Hall before everybody else, needing to go to the bathroom quickly after drinking too much apple and cinnamon hot juice. She stamped up the stairs and turned along another corridor, which was quite dark for only a few candles were lit. She was halfway down the passage, trying to remember where the bloody toilets were when she thought she saw something shine on her left. Stopping, she turned to squint at what had caught her attention and felt as though her stomach had dissolved.

Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the floor, rigid and cold, a look of shock frozen on his face, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. And that wasn't all. Floating above him was Sir Nicholas, immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off and his face wore an expression of shock identical to Justin's.

Rohini's mouth opened in a silent scream. Then she began to whisper "No, no, no!" Like a mantra as she kneeled next to Justin, helplessly trying to shake him out of his petrified state. She looked wildly up and down the deserted corridor and saw a line of spiders scuttling as fast as they could away from the bodies. Spiders, again. Ron would have hated that.

As he stood there, panicking, a door right next to him opened with a bang. Peeves the Poltergeist came shooting out profanities while using a Christmas tune.

"Why, it's potty wee Potter!" cackled Peeves. "What's Potter up to? Why's Potter lurking—"

Peeves stopped, halfway through a midair somersault. Upside down, he spotted Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up, filled his lungs and, before Rohini could stop him, screamed, "ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK ! "

"Peeves, wait!" Rohini shouted helplessly but it was already too late; Professor McGonagall, Snape and Dumbledore arrived and Rohini couldn't try to justify herself without stuttering, tears of distress running down her cheeks.

"Professor McGonagall, please lead Miss Potter to my office while I talk to Madam Pomfrey." Dumbledore said sternly and Rohini felt someone grabbing her by the arm and pulling her away from the two new victims.

"This way, Potter," McGonagall said. Rohini nodded, sniffing loudly. Was she going to be expelled? Will Dumbledore consider her the heiress of Slytherin and find her guilty, throwing her into a jail?

They marched in silence around a corner and then stopped before a large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle.

"Lemon drop!" McGonagall said. This was evidently a password, because the gargoyle sprang suddenly to life and hopped aside as the wall behind him split in two. Behind the wall was a spiral staircase that was moving smoothly upward, like an escalator. As she and Professor McGonagall stepped onto it, Rohini heard the wall thud closed behind them. They rose upward in circles, higher and higher, until at last, slightly dizzy, they reached a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.

"Goes in, and touch nothing." McGonagall barked and Rohini nodded before entering, shaking like a leaf.

Xxx

It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard's hat—the Sorting Hat.

"Rohini Potter." It said with a smirk and Rohini jumped, surprised. "A Ravenclaw in trouble? That's quite rare, isn't it?"

"Well, it happens to the best of us." Rohini snapped and the Sorting Hat snorted before turning silent again. Rohini cast a wary eye around the sleeping witches and wizards on the walls. She felt like she was being spied but couldn't tell by whom or what. Then a strange, gagging noise behind her made her wheel around and gasped in awe.

Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird that resembled a half-plucked turkey.

"You're a Phoenix!" Rohini said, coming closer. "You must be close to death, though…" Its eyes were dull and, before Rohini could do anything more than touching one of its feathers, the bird burst into flames.

Rohini yelled in shock and backed away into the desk. The Phoenix gave one last shriek and next second there was nothing but a smouldering pile of ash left.

The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very somber and then raising an eyebrow when he saw Rohini standing, eyes wide opened, next to the remain of his bird.

"I-… it just died." She said awkwardly and Dumbledore smiled.

"About time, too," he said. "He's been looking dreadful for days; I've been telling him to get a move on."

"What was his name?" Rohini asked, curious. She knew that trouble will come as soon as this conversation ended, and wanted to make it last as much as she could.

"Fawkes. As you might know, Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes. Watch him…"

Rohini smiled, eyes shining when a tiny, wrinkled, newborn bird poke its head out of the ashes. It was the cutest tiny thing she had ever seen.

"It's a shame you had to see him on a Burning Day," said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk. "He's really very handsome most of the time, wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets."

"Yeah, I've read about them." Rohini nodded. Here it was, the end of the nice, random conversation. Time for something darker.

Dumbledore settled himself and fixed her with his penetrating, light-blue stare. Rohini played with her sweater's sleeves, not sure of what to say.

"I'm sorry about Justin and Sir Nicholas." She blurred out. "I- I mean, I didn't do it! But I'm sorry that they were victims of the monster and I swear it wasn't me, I just wanted to go to the toilets and I would never hurt-"

"I know, I know." Dumbledore assured her, raising a hand to calm her down. Rohini blinked stupidly, surprised.

"You believe me?" She asked, her voice doing a funny squealing thing.

"Yes, Rohini,I do." Said Dumbledore, though his face was somber again. "But I still want to talk to you. I must ask you, whether there is anything you'd like to tell me," he said gently. "Anything at all."

Rohini waited nervously while Dumbledore considered her, the tips of his long fingers together. A thought crossed her mind; what if Dumbledore could read her thoughts? What if he was doing it right now? Panicking, she tried not to think about tonight's plan. Instead, she thought about Padma and her beautiful hair and the way she looked when she smiled. She also thought of Luna and the latest Quibbler's article.

"No," She said, trying to sound convincing. "There isn't anything, Professor…"

"Good." Dumbledore said. "I reckon your brother is probably waiting for you now. You shouldn't let him worry any longer."

"Thank you, Professor." Rohini said, hitting her left foot on one of the furniture as she made her way to the door. As soon as she closed it, she ran down the stairs and didn't stop running until she bumped into Harry.

"It wasn't me." She said stupidly and Harry nodded. Then she saw the rest of the students leaving the Great Hall, whispering and pointing at them with terror in their eyes. Rohini gulped; Christmas was definitely wasted this year.

X

xx x

X

Hello again guys! Long story short, it was one hell of a day. Cat still not back, I left my job and the hotel owner was surprisingly bitchier than ever (not so surprising actually) but on a positive note, I passed and will do my last year at Uni in September!

I also have a Horse Jumping Competition on Sunday and I hope I will not end up last!

Sorry for getting all personal ahah.

On a note related to the fic, I changed the timeline a bit from the book. I know some like it better when writers stick to canon and I apologise if you don't like it! I promise, this should be only time lined divergence from the book.

Have a lovely day you all, and thanks for showing me some support!


	12. Chapter 12

Rohini almost forgot about the Polyjuice and it was Hermione who reminded her when they found Rohini standing alone in front of the frozen lake a few hours later.

"We still need a bit of the people you're changing into," said Hermione. "And obviously, it'll be best if you can get something of Crabbe's and Goyle's; they're Malfoy's best friends, he'll tell them anything. And we also need to make sure the real Crabbe and Goyle can't burst in on us while we're interrogating him."

"We could petrify them?" Rohini suggested. "Or one of us could find a way to hold them back while the three other interrogate Malfoy?"

"I've got it all worked out," Hermione cut her. She held up two plump chocolate cakes. "I've filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught. All you have to do is make sure Crabbe and Goyle find them. You know how greedy they are, they're bound to eat them. Once they're asleep, pull out a few of their hairs and hide them in a broom closet."

"You're both smart and a little bit scary, right now." Rohini said, though she was smiling. "I like it."

"Oh, hush you." Hermione said, blushing.

Harry and Ron looked incredulously at each other. They didn't seem as convinced as Rohini.

"Hermione, I don't think—"

"That could go seriously wrong—"

"The potion will be useless without Crabbe's and Goyle's hair," she said sternly. "You do want to investigate Malfoy, don't you?"

"Oh, all right, all right," said Harry. "But what about you two? Whose hair are you ripping out?"

"I've already got mine!" said Hermione brightly, pulling a tiny bottle out of her pocket and showing them the single hair inside it. "Remember Millicent Bulstrode wrestling with me at the Dueling Club? She left this on my robes when she was trying to strangle me! And she's gone home for Christmas—so I'll just have to tell the Slytherins I've decided to come back. Same goes for you, Rohini." She said, holding up a second tiny bottle. "Pansy Parkinson. She also left for the holidays."

"Hermione, you genius." Rohini said., kissing Hermione's cheek. "Alright, Ron, Harry, you'll act after dinner. But make sure Malfoy don't see you, ok?"

"How?" Harry asked and Rohini thought about it.

"I'll distract him." She said though she had no idea how yet. "Shouldn't be too hard…"

"Be careful." Harry told her.

"I'm always careful." Rohini assured them, only getting dubious glances. Oh, how good it felt to be trusted, really…

They spent the rest of the afternoon avoiding students which seemed to be a mutual thing; nobody wanted to cross the "Heirs of Slytherin" in fear of being petrified. Of course, it didn't include the Weasley Twins who were having the time of their life teasing Harry and Rohini about it.

Rohini was still trying to figure out what to say when she headed towards the Slytherin table at the end of dinner and stopped in front of Malfoy and his two friends.

"What do you want, Potter?"

"To talk to you. In private." She said, glancing at the two other boys. Malfoy sneered. "What, scared I will petrify you?" Rohini asked, raising an eyebrow. Malfoy lost his smile and barked at Crabbe and Goyle to leave them alone. Rohini caught Hermione giving her a thumb out. The boys were nowhere to be seen, which mean they were probably getting ready.

"Unlike some, I don't have time to lose." Malfoy said, already standing up. Rohini moved to stop him.

"You know the truth." She said. "You know that neither Harry nor I is the heir of Slytherin."

Malfoy's eye twitched. ' _Gotcha_ ' Rohini thought. Crabbe and Goyle had just left the Great Hall, which means she could backup now.

"Of course you're not." Malfoy spat, looking at her from tip to toes with disdain. "Look at you both, with your stupid sweaters made by some disgrace of the wizardly world."

"You must be familiar with disgrace, with a father like yours. Pretending to be bewitched by Voldemort because he couldn't deal with his own actions… pretty pitiful, isn't he?" Rohini said with a cold smile.

Malfoy's jaw tensed and she could tell he would gladly kill her on spot if it wasn't for the teachers staring at them warily, sensing troubles.

"Lost your tongue, Draco?" Rohini asked innocently and Malfoy said nothing, only looking at her with wrath. "That's what I thought." And then Rohini turned on her heels.

If at first she was rather proud of herself for shutting down Malfoy, guilt soon came as she realised how mean she had been. She wasn't better than he or Snape right now. Losing her smile, she lowered her head and hurried to join Harry and their friends in the deserted bathroom.

"Here you are, finally!" Hermione said. She was showing her back to Rohini and didn't see the gloomy expression her friend was bearing, unlike Harry who came closer.

"Hey, you ok?" He asked with a frown. "Is it about Justin?"

"No, don't worry." Rohini said, looking away and taking a deep breathe. "I've been rather mean with Malfoy. I mean, not that I'm usually nice to him and he's obviously a jerk, but I feel like I shouldn't have said what I said. It was unfair."

"Oh." Harry said, blinking.

"Yeah, oh." Rohini repeated, chuckling weakly. "Oh well. It's not like I could apologise now."

"Could be your Christmas Miracle." Harry joked and Rohini puffed in his face. "Come on now, we don't have much time before Crabbe and Goyle wake up."

"I sneaked these spare robes out of the laundry," Hermione said, holding up a small sack. "You'll need bigger sizes once you're Crabbe and Goyle. Pansy might be taller than you, too. "

The four of them stared into the cauldron. Close up, the potion looked like thick, dark mud, bubbling sluggishly. Rohini gagged as she sniffed it; the potion smelt like rotten eggs.

"I'm sure I've done everything right," said Hermione, nervously rereading the splotched page of Moste Potente Potions. "It looks like the book says it should… once we've drunk it, we'll have exactly an hour before we change back into ourselves."

"Now what?" Ron whispered.

"We separate it into four glasses and add the hairs."

Hermione ladled large dollops of the potion into each of the glasses. Then, her hand trembling, she shook Millicent Bulstrode's hair out of its bottle into the first glass.

The potion hissed loudly like a boiling kettle and frothed madly. A second later, it had turned a sick sort of yellow.

"Urgh—essence of Millicent Bulstrode," said Ron, eyeing it with loathing. "Bet it tastes disgusting."

"Hang on," said Harry as Ron and Hermione reached for their glasses. "We'd better not all drink them in here… Once we turn into Crabbe and Goyle we won't fit. And Millicent Bulstrode's no pixie."

"Good thinking," said Rohini, unlocking the door. "We'll take separate stalls. See you right after."

"Ready?" Harry called once they were all in a different stall.

"Ready," They said in unison before swallowing the potion in one go.

It tasted like overcooked cabbage. Once again, Rohini was glad she had a gag reflex. She took deep breath, her whole body on fire and she felt like she was being attacked by bees for she felt all swollen. Her legs were shaking and her head jerking in every direction.

As suddenly as it had started, everything stopped. She lay facedown on the stone-cold floor, panting and all sweaty. It was an odd feeling; she was herself but also someone else. Not something she'd would like to experiment more than once.

She touched her face and hair; it felt so foreign! Taking off her glasses, she hurried to change into a Slytherin uniform and finally left the stall.

"You're even uglier than before." Moaning Myrtle said before floating towards the ceiling while giggling.

"Thanks, Myrtle." Rohini said sarcastically before knocking at the next stall. "You're good?"

Harry unlocked his door and stepped in front of her. The twins stared at each other before snorting.

"I'm so glad I'm not looking like your twin right now. You're hideous." Rohini said and Harry rolled his dull, pig like eyes. "You seem more related to Dudley, though."

Harry grimaced and Ron's door finally opened.

"This is unbelievable," said Ron, approaching the mirror and prodding Crabbe's flat nose. "Unbelievable."

"We'd better get going," said Harry, loosening the watch that was cutting into Goyle's thick wrist. "We've still got to find out where the Slytherin common room is. I only hope we can find someone to follow…"

Ron, who had been gazing at Harry, said, "You don't know how bizarre it is to see Goyle thinking." He banged on Hermione's door. "C'mon, we need to go—"

A high-pitched voice answered him.

"I—I don't think I'm going to come after all. You go on without me."

"Hermione, we know Millicent Bulstrode's ugly, no one's going to know it's you—"

"No—really—I don't think I'll come. You two hurry up, you're wasting time—"

"Hermione? Did something go wrong?" Rohini asked, frowning. Hermione only told them to hurry for they only had an hour. Rohini hesitated before nodding and waving at the boys to follow her outside.

Harry and Ron opened the door of the bathroom carefully, checked that the coast was clear, and set off, Rohini behind them.

"Act more stiff." She told the boys. "Yeah, like that."

They went down the marble staircase. All they needed now was a Slytherin that they could follow to the Slytherin common room, but there was nobody around. Rohini thought she heard two Slytherin girls talk about the fact they were right under the lake which means having to get to the lowest levels.

The labyrinthine passages were deserted. They walked deeper and deeper under the school, constantly checking their watches to see how much time they had left. After a quarter of an hour, just when they were getting desperate, they heard a sudden movement ahead.

"Ha!" said Ron excitedly. "There's one of them now!"

The figure was emerging from a side room. As they hurried nearer, however, their hearts sank. It wasn't a Slytherin, it was Percy.

"What're you doing down here?" said Ron in surprise. Rohini stepped on his foot; now wasn't the time to blow their cover!

Percy looked affronted.

"That," he said stiffly, "is none of your business. It's Crabbe, isn't it?"

"Wh—oh, yeah," said Ron.

"Well, get off to your dormitories," said Percy sternly. "It's not safe to go wandering around dark corridors these days."

"You are," Ron pointed out.

"I," said Percy, drawing himself up, "am a Prefect. Nothing's about to attack me."

A voice suddenly echoed behind Harry and Ron. Draco Malfoy was strolling toward them, and for the first time in his life, they were pleased to see him. Rohini couldn't help but feel the guilt coming back.

"There you are," he drawled, looking at them. "Have you two been pigging out in the Great Hall all this time? I've been looking for you; I want to show you something really funny. Didn't know you came back so soon, Pansy."

"Surprise." Rohini said sarcastically. Malfoy snorted before glancing witheringly at Percy.

"And what're you doing down here, Weasley?" he sneered.

Percy looked outraged.

"You want to show a bit more respect to a school Prefect!" he said. "I don't like your attitude!"

Malfoy sneered and motioned for Harry, Ron and Rohini to follow him. They hurried after Malfoy, who said as they turned into the next passage, "That Peter Weasley—"

"Percy," Ron corrected him automatically. Rohini elbowed him with an heavy glance. Ron pinched his lips and nodded.

"Whatever," said Malfoy. "I've noticed him sneaking around a lot lately. And I bet I know what he's up to. He thinks he's going to catch Slytherin's heir single-handed."

Malfoy paused by a stretch of bare, damp stone wall.

"What's the new password again?" he said to Harry.

"Er—" said Harry. Rohini was glad it suited Goyle's dumb personality.

"Oh, yeah—pure-blood!" said Malfoy, not listening, and a stone door concealed in the wall slid open. Malfoy marched through it, and Ron and the twins came after him.

The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls covered with beautiful emerald tapestry. Luxurious chandeliers with green flames were hanging from the ceiling. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in high-backed chairs. Everything about it screamed pureblood pride and luxury somehow.

"Wait here," said Malfoy, motioning them to a pair of empty, comfy looking armchairs set back from the fire. "I'll go and get it—my father's just sent it to me—"

"I thought it would look gloomier here." Harry whispered and Rohini shook her head.

"Really? I mean, all their families are probably rich and living luxuriously. They would pull a tantrum if it didn't reflect in their children's Common Room." She said and Ron admitted it sounded pretty likely of the Malfoys.

Malfoy came back a minute later, holding what looked like a newspaper clipping. He thrust it under Ron's nose.

"That'll give you a laugh," he said. Ron's eyes widen in shock. He read the clipping quickly, gave a very forced laugh, and handed it to Harry. Rohini looked above his shoulder and read:

 _INQUIRY AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC_

 _Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, was today fined fifty Galleons for bewitching a Muggle car._

 _Mr. Lucius Malfoy, a governor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the enchanted car crashed earlier this year, called today for Mr. Weasley's resignation._

 _"_ _Weasley has brought the Ministry into disrepute," Mr. Malfoy told our reporter. "He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately."_

 _Mr. Weasley was unavailable for comment, although his wife told reporters to clear off or she'd set the family ghoul on them._

"Well?" said Malfoy impatiently as Harry handed the clipping back to him. "Don't you think it's funny?"

"Ha, ha," said Harry bleakly. Rohini forced a smile on her face even though she felt extremely sick. It was so unfair, the Weasleys didn't deserve this!

"Arthur Weasley loves Muggles so much he should snap his wand in half and go and join them," said Malfoy scornfully. "You'd never know the Weasleys were purebloods, the way they behave."

Ron's—or rather, Crabbe's—face was contorted with fury. Rohini panicked; Ron was the worse spy she had ever met.

"What's up with you, Crabbe?" snapped Malfoy.

"Stomachache," Ron grunted.

"Well, go up to the hospital wing and give all those Mudbloods a kick from me," said Malfoy, snickering. "You know, I'm surprised the Daily Prophet hasn't reported all these attacks yet," he went on thoughtfully.

"I suppose Dumbledore's trying to hush it all up. He'll be sacked if it doesn't stop soon. Father's always said old Dumbledore's the worst thing that's ever happened to this place. He loves Muggle-borns. A decent headmaster would never've let slime like that Creevey in."

Malfoy started taking pictures with an imaginary camera and did a cruel but accurate impression of Colin: "'Potter, can I have your picture, Potter? Can I have your autograph? Can I lick your shoes, please, Potter?'"

He dropped his hands and looked at Harry and Ron.

"What's the matter with you two?" he asked with a frown and Rohini forced a laugh, waving her hand as if she was chasing a fly.

"Don't mind them, they're always slow. They'll laugh in five minutes or so." She said and Malfoy smirked as her brother and Ron finally pretended to be amused.

"Saint Potter and his Perfect Twin, the Mudbloods' friends," said Malfoy slowly. "They're other ones with no proper wizard feeling. And people think they're Slytherin's heirs! He would probably die again if he heard those idiots."

"You'd be a better heir, for sure." Rohini said and Malfoy smiled, obviously pleased. "Far better than those Potters…"

"I wish I knew who it is though," said Malfoy petulantly. "I wouldn't mind giving them a hand."

"You must have some idea who's behind it all…" Harry said, exchanging a glance with Rohini and Ron.

"You know I haven't, Goyle, how many times do I have to tell you?" snapped Malfoy. "And Father won't tell me anything about the last time the Chamber was opened either. Of course, it was fifty years ago, so it was before his time, but he knows all about it, and he says that it was all kept quiet and it'll look suspicious if I know too much about it."

"Doesn't sound like he trust you that much." Ron said, looking away when Malfoy glanced at him with his lips pinched.

"Way to go, Crabbe." Rohini said, smacking the back of his head. "Don't mind him, Draco. I'm sure you know more than he thinks." She added carefully and Malfoy nodded before leaning closer to them.

"I know one thing—last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died. So I bet it's a matter of time before one of them's killed this time… I hope it's Granger," he said with relish. Rohini had to try hard to keep her smile on her face when all she wanted to do was push him. So did Ron, judging by the way he clenched his fists.

"D'you know if the person who opened the Chamber last time was caught?" Harry asked, casting a warning glance at Ron.

"Oh, yeah… whoever it was got expelled," said Malfoy. "They're probably still in Azkaban."

"Azkaban?" said Harry, puzzled.

"Azkaban—the wizard prison, Goyle," said Malfoy, looking at him in disbelief. "Honestly, if you were any slower, you'd be going backward."

Rohini faked another laugh and so did Ron. Malfoy shifted restlessly in his chair and said, "Father says to keep my head down and let the Heir of Slytherin get on with it. He says the school needs ridding of all the Mudblood filth, but not to get mixed up in it. Of course, he's got a lot on his plate at the moment. You know the Ministry of Magic raided our manor last week?"

The three of them tried to force their face into a look of concern.

"Yeah…" said Malfoy. "Luckily, they didn't find much. Father's got some very valuable Dark Arts stuff. But luckily, we've got our own secret chamber under the drawing-room floor—"

"Ho!" said Ron.

Malfoy looked at him. So did Harry and Rohini. Ron blushed. Even his hair was turning red. His nose was also slowly lengthening—their hour was up, Ron was turning back into himself, and from the look of horror he was suddenly giving the twins, they must be, too.

They both jumped to their feet.

"Medicine for my stomach," Ron grunted, and without further ado they sprinted the length of the Slytherin common room, hurled themselves at the stone wall, and dashed up the passage, hoping against hope that Malfoy hadn't noticed anything. They crashed up the steps into the dark entrance hall, which was full of a muffled pounding coming from the closet where they'd locked Crabbe and Goyle.

"Well, it wasn't a complete waste of time," Ron panted, closing the bathroom door behind them. "I know we still haven't found out who's doing the attacks, but I'm going to write to Dad tomorrow and tell him to check under the Malfoys' drawing room."

"You also need to take acting lessons." Rohini told him. "Seriously, you're lucky we didn't get caught!"

"Come on, give me a break." Ron said with a frown. "We didn't get caught, ok? So it's fine. Plus, it's not like I'm gonna pretend to be Crabbe for the rest of my life. Chill."

Hermione, come out, we've got loads to tell you." Harry said loudly to stop his sister and friend from quarrelling. Hermione's reaction wasn't the one they expected though.

"Go away!" Hermione squeaked. Rohini tried to open the door, but it was locked.

"Hermione, open the door please." Rohini said, having a bad feeling about it.

"What's the matter?" said Ron. "You must be back to normal by now, we are—"

But Moaning Myrtle glided suddenly through the stall door. They had never seen her looking so happy.

"Ooooooh, wait till you see," she said. "It's awful—"

They heard the lock slide back and Hermione emerged, sobbing, her robes pulled up over her head.

"What's up?" said Ron uncertainly. "Have you still got Millicent's nose or something?"

Hermione let her robes fall and Ron backed into the sink.

Her face was covered in black fur. Her eyes had turned yellow and there were long, pointed ears poking through her hair. Rohini would have laugh if it wasn't so awful.

"It was a c-cat hair!" Hermione howled between two sniffs. "M-Millicent Bulstrode m-must have a cat! And the p-potion isn't supposed to be used for animal transformations!"

"Uh-oh," said Ron.

"You'll be teased something dreadful," said Myrtle happily.

"It's okay, Hermione," said Harry quickly. "We'll take you up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions…"

It took a long time to persuade Hermione to leave the bathroom. Moaning Myrtle sped them on their way with a hearty guffaw. "Wait till everyone finds out you've got a tail!"

Rohini told her to shut up before closing the door behind them. She did her best to hide Hermione behind her, even though she was the smallest of the four.

Christmas truly was the worse for them all, this year. Rohini hoped Luna and Padma were having fun, at least because she sure wasn't.

"Merry Christmas!" A portrait told them before tripping over nothing for he probably had drunk too many eggnogs.

"Merry Christmas." Rohini said, staring by the window at the snow falling outside. It was the only thing that seemed right, that night.


	13. Chapter 13

Hermione remained in the hospital wing long enough for every student to be back from their holidays. People suspected her to be the fourth victim but the Professor McGonagall assured everybody that Miss Granger was just currently sick. Madam Pomfrey took out her curtains again and placed them around Hermione's bed, to spare her the shame of being seen with a furry face.

Rohini feared that Padma would grew suspicious of her now that there had been a new victim but both Padma and Luna swore they believed she was innocent.

"You're just a magnet for problems." Padma told her and Rohini had to admit she was probably right. "You should have come at our place instead of staying here. Mum and Dad can't wait to meet you."

"So is my dad." Luna said and Rohini blushed. She didn't want to admit it aloud, but she was scared of meeting her friends' parents properly, fearing they wouldn't like her. It was silly; she was polite and had a minimum of manners. She was always ready to help when it came to cooking or cleaning the dishes. So really, why would they dislike her?

' _Because you're dull._ ' A sly voice told her but she chased it away. She wasn't dull; she actually had many interest such as chess and Magical creatures. She also liked to draw, even though she was making slow progresses.

She was talking about drawing Luna's portrait when Rohini stopped her; Moaning Myrtle must have pulled another tantrum for half the corridor in front of them was flooded. Filch wasn't going to like it.

"Luna, you shouldn't go there since you're barefoot." Rohini said.

"But Myrtle sounds sad, doesn't she? I would like to check on her." Luna said and indeed they could hear the ghost being louder than usual. Padma told Luna it was probably nothing but the first year still looked worried.

"I'll go see what's wrong, wait for me here." Rohini said and Luna's smile was back.

Holding her robe over her ankles, Rohini stepped through the great wash of water and grimaced as her socks got wet.

Moaning Myrtle was crying, if possible, louder and harder than ever before. She seemed to be hiding down her usual toilet. Rohini knocked and Myrtle sniffed loudly.

"What?" She snapped.

"Myrtle, it's Rohini. Are you ok?" Rohini asked and Myrtle passed through the door, looking miserable.

"Come to throw something else at me?" She asked between two sobs.

"No, why would I throw something at you?" Rohini said, puzzled; she never had shown any sign of violence towards the ghost before.

"Don't ask me," Myrtle shouted at her and Rohini grimaced. "Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me… Let's all throw books at Myrtle, because she can't feel it! Ten points if you can get it through her stomach! Fifty points if it goes through her head! Well, ha, ha, ha! What a lovely game, I don't think!"

"I'm so sorry, Myrtle." Rohini said, meaning it. Myrtle might be annoying, but she still was a "young" ghost haunting a bathroom. Must be terrible to live her life… or afterlife, more likely.

"It's over there, it got washed out…" Myrtle said, pointing at something behind Rohini. She looked under the sink and found a small, thin book laying there. It had a shabby black cover and was as wet as everything else in the bathroom. Rohini frowned for she thought it looked quite similar to Ginny's diary. But why would she have thrown it away?

"Are you sure you didn't see who was there?" Rohini asked as she picked up the diary. She opened it and realised the pages were blank. It couldn't belong to Ginny, then; she had seen her writing in it every evening before bed when they were at The Burrow.

She was going to close it again when she looked at the right corner of the first page and realised there was the name "T. M. Riddle" written in smudged ink with the date, dating it from fifty years ago… which means T.M. Riddle was alive when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened.

But why writing nothing else but their name and the date? And how did the diary found its way to Hogwarts, specifically into this unusable bathroom?

"Rohini? Is everything ok?" She heard Padma calling her from the corridor.

"Yeah, coming!" Rohini said before looking at Myrtle. "I'm really sorry about this accident. I hope nobody will come and bother you again."

"Whatever." Myrtle said before disappearing into a stall with a long moan.

Rohini finally exited the toilets right as Filch arrived, mumbling furiously. He tried to chase the girls away with a mop and they ran away quickly until they reached their Common Room.

"What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?" The eagle head asked.

"Short." The three Ravenclaws answered in unison before stepping inside. The Common Room was filled with a sweet smell and a piano melody was playing in the background. Rohini fell on the couch with a sigh, Padma sat on the closest armchair to the chimney and Luna sat on the carpet between them.

"So, what was wrong with Moaning Myrtle?" Padma asked while opening her Potions book to get ready for the long, pretty difficult assignment Snape had given them. "Outch, that's harder than usual."

"Someone threw this to her head." Rohini said, handing them the wet diary. Luna took it and went through the blank pages, Padma looking over her shoulders. "It seemed that it belonged to a certain T.M. Riddles fifty years ago."

"Must have been a Ravenclaw, with a name like this." Padma said. "Fifty years ago, though? Maybe it belonged to a teacher then?"

"None of our teachers are called like this." Rohini said, shaking her head. "Though some of them are probably old enough to know him. I mean, Professor Binns is totally old enough. Not to be rude, but I don't think Professor Flitwick is in his 20 either…"

"Dumbledore is probably just as old, if not more." Padma agreed.

"Are you going to keep the diary?" Luna asked while doing her own Potions homework.

"Well, I doubt Riddle is going to come looking for it." Rohini said. "I will give it back if someone come looking for it though I doubt they will if they threw it at Myrtle's face in the first place."

"True. Really, you should keep it." Padma said before going back to her book. "Actually, could we forget about this diary right now? I need your help with it."

"Sure!" Rohini said, leaving the diary on the couch as she stood up and looked over Padma's shoulders. "What did the Abominable Snape gave us to do this time?"

The diary was forgotten for the rest of the day, Rohini almost forgetting it in the Common Room as they left for dinner. She put it in her bag quickly before joining her friends waiting outside. She was happy to spot Hermione at the Gryffindor table that evening.

"What did you say she had?" Padma asked.

"A really bad flu." Rohini lied. "We stayed outside for too long and with all that snow and stuff, it's no wonder she caught something."

"I see." Padma said and Rohini could tell she didn't really buy it. One day, she will tell Padma the truth. But for now, she was glad her best friend listened to her lies without calling her out on them. After dinner they went back to their dorm where they kept trying to figure out the perfect way to end their different assignments and Rohini forgot about the diary in her bag.

Xxx

The sun had now begun to shine weakly on Hogwarts again. Inside the castle, the mood had grown more hopeful. There had been no more attacks since those on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, and Madam Pomfrey was pleased to report that the Mandrakes were becoming moody and secretive, meaning that they were fast leaving childhood.

"They are in their teenager phase." Professor Sprout told them during a Herbology class. "The moment their acne clears up, they'll be ready for repotting again and after that, it won't be long until we're cutting them up and stewing them."

Gilderoy Lockhart seemed to think he himself had made the attacks stop. Everybody overheard him telling Professor McGonagall so while they were heading to the Great Hall for lunch.

"I don't think there'll be any more trouble, Minerva," he said, tapping his nose knowingly and winking. "I think the Chamber has been locked for good this time. The culprit must have known it was only a matter of time before I caught him. Rather sensible to stop now, before I came down hard on him."

Professor McGonagall had never looked so bored than on this instant and Rohini gave her a sorry smile while most of the students gushed about Lockhart.

"You know, what the school needs now is a morale-booster. Wash away the memories of last term! I won't say any more just now, but I think I know just the thing…" He tapped his nose again and strode off.

Lockhart's idea of a morale-booster became clear at breakfast time on February fourteenth, for Valentine's day. Rohini had barely slept the night before for the girls hadn't shut up about love and crushes until at least 1am. It's barely awaked that she followed Padma and Luna into the Great Hall and thought for a moment that she had fallen asleep again.

The walls were all covered with large, lurid pink flowers. Worse still, heart-shaped confetti were falling from the pale blue ceiling.

"What's the heck?" Rohini mouthed as she looked at the confetti floating in her glass.

The teachers looked just as disgusted and done as her and none of them were speaking, which was quite unusual. Lockhart, wearing lurid pink robes to match the decorations, was waving for silence. Rohini saw a muscle going in Professor McGonagall's cheek. Snape looked as though someone had just fed him a large beaker of _Skele-Gro_. Hagrid was shaking his head and mumbling something in his beard.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all—and it doesn't end here!"

Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the entrance hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps.

"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands. Snape was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison. Rohini pinched her nose and sighed. It seemed that no matter how much stupid Lockhart looked, he was always able to do something dumber.

"That's… romantic?" Padma tried and Rohini casted her a dubious look. "Are you going to write something?"

"Who, me?" Rohini asked, looking away and stabbing her sausage before cutting it with more strength that necessary. "Of course not, that's too embarrassing." Besides, it's not like she had somebody to write to, right…?

All day long, the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver valentines, to the annoyance of the teachers, and late that afternoon as Harry and Rohini were talking about his latest practice while Rohini played chess against Ron, something utterly embarrassing happened.

"Oy, you! 'Arry Potter!" shouted a particularly grim-looking dwarf, elbowing people out of the way to get to Harry.

"Oh no." Harry said and he, his friends and Rohini began to run away, leaving the chess set behind. They were crossing the path of Gryffindors first years when the dwarf cut his way through the crowd by kicking people's shins and reached him before he'd gone two paces.

"I've got a musical message to deliver to 'Arry Potter in person," he said, twanging his harp in a threatening sort of way.

"Not here," Harry hissed, trying to escape. Rohini tried to shoo the dwarf away with her hands, in vain; it just passed between her legs and caught Harry's bag.

"Stay still!" grunted the dwarf.

"Let me go!" Harry snarled, tugging.

Rohini used her own bag and slammed it into the dwarf, knocking him off for a few seconds before it jumped and grabbed Harry's sweater. Rohini's bag opened and everything spilled out of it; her quill, inks, parchments, books, the diary that she had forgotten…

She scrambled around trying to pick up everything while Harry was fighting with the dwarf under the first years' amused stares.

"What's going on here?" Came the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.

"What's all this commotion?" said another familiar voice as Percy Weasley arrived.

Harry obviously tried to make a run for it, but the dwarf seized him around the knees and brought him crashing right into Rohini who hissed and dropped the diary she had been picking up.

"Right," the Dwarf said, sitting on Harry's ankles. "Here is your singing valentine:

 _His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,_

 _His hair is as dark as a blackboard._

 _I wish he was mine, he's really divine,_

 _The hero who conquered the Dark Lord."_

Harry tried valiantly to laugh along with everyone else while Percy Weasley did his best to disperse the crowd, some of whom were crying with mirth. Rohini would have laugh with them if it wasn't for the look on Ginny's face. Rohini felt sorry for her.

She was helping Harry back on his feet when she realized Malfoy had snatched up Riddle's diary.

"Give that back!" Rohini said while trying to grab the diary but Malfoy sneered and raised his arm, knowing Rohini was too short to catch it.

"Is it your diary, Potter?" said Malfoy, "Wonder what you could have written it in. A love letter to Weasley?" He said, Crabbe and Goyle laughing as if he had told the joke of the century. A hush fell over the onlookers. Ginny was staring from the diary to Rohini to Harry, looking terrified.

"Hand it over, Malfoy," said Percy sternly.

"When I've had a look," said Malfoy, waving the diary tauntingly at Rohini who pulled her wand and pointed it at Malfoy's nose.

"Hand. It. Now." She said and a moment passed before Percy came closer and took the diary out of Malfoy's hand easily for he was taller than him. Malfoy threw him a nasty glance before looking at Ginny.

"I don't think Potter liked your valentine much!" He said while leaving and Ginny ran away. Snarling, Ron pulled out his wand, too, but the twins pulled him away for Ron didn't need another slug accident.

"Didn't know you had a diary." Harry said as they went back to their game of chess. Rohini just shrugged and said "it's complicated."

Right now, she had a chess game to win.

Xxx

Rohini stayed up late that night, decided to finish all her homework for the rest of the week in one go. Padma had left an hour ago and Rohini's only company was the Grey Lady floating with a sorrowful expression by the window. As the ghost left, Rohini realised it was already past midnight. No wonder her eyes burnt so much! As she got ready to leave, she thought of the diary.

Should she try it before bed? She felt excited somehow. Her first diary! Then, she realise she had no idea what to write about; should she write as if it was addressed to a friend? Did it have to be neat, organised sum up of her days or could it be random ideas she didn't wanted to forget?

She dipped her quill into her ink and handed it up for too long above the blank page, dropping a blot onto the first page of the diary.

The ink shone brightly on the paper for a second and then, as though it was being sucked into the page, vanished. Rohini blinked. She hadn't expected it to act like a magical secret diary. At least, she knew that she could write silly things in it without nosy people being able to read them.

Biting her lips, she thought about it for a while before writing:

"This diary now belongs to Rohini Potter, disturber of the Universe's laws."

The words shone momentarily on the page and they, too, sank without trace. Then, at last, something happened. Oozing back out of the page, in his very own ink, a new sentence appeared.

"Hello, Rohini Potter. My name is Tom Riddle. How did you come by my diary?"

Rohini blinked. She hadn't expected that. How was it possible? Tom Riddle must be living miles away from Hogwarts. How could he still interact with her this way?

"Hello, Mr. Riddle. I found your diary in a bathroom. Somebody threw it to a poor ghost' face."

Once again, her own words vanished to be replace by Riddle' ones.

"Lucky that I recorded my memories in some more lasting way than ink. But I always knew that there would be those who would not want this diary read."

"How comes?" Rohini asked, curious.

"I mean that this diary holds memories of terrible things. Things that were covered up. Things that happened at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Are you talking about the Chamber of Secret?"

Rohini's heart was hammering. Riddle's reply came quickly, his writing becoming untidier, as though he was hurrying to tell all he knew.

"Of course I know about the Chamber of Secrets. In my day, they told us it was a legend, that it did not exist. But this was a lie. In my fifth year, the Chamber was opened and the monster attacked several students, finally killing one. I caught the person who'd opened the Chamber and he was expelled."

"It's happening again now. There have been three attacks and no one seems to know who's behind them." Rohini wrote. "Can you tell me who opened the Chamber the first time? Was it Slytherin's heir?"

"I can show you, if you like," came Riddle's reply. "You don't have to take my word for it. I can take you inside my memory of the night when I caught him."

Rohini thought about it. Could she trust him? She knew nothing about Riddle, after all. Nothing but what he told her. She felt reluctant but at the same time, she needed answers.

"Alright." Rohini finally wrote after checking her wand was still in her pocket.

"Let me show you."

The pages of the diary began to blow as though caught in a high wind, stopping halfway through the month of June and before Rohini knew what was happening, she was tilting forward and was pitched headfirst through the opening in the page, into a whirl of colour and shadow.


	14. Chapter 14

Rohini felt her feet hit solid ground and almost tripped from the sudden shock. Looking around, she realised she was standing in Dumbledore's office. Well, what should have been Dumbledore's office except that the furniture were different and that there was somebody else behind the desk.

A wizened, frail-looking wizard, bald except for a few wisps of white hair, was reading a letter by candlelight. Rohini thought she had seen his portrait when she came here for Christmas. He must have been the headmaster from fifty years ago.

"Am I really in the past?" She asked aloud to herself for the wizard clearly couldn't see nor hear her.

He folded up the letter with a sigh, stood up, walked past Rohini who thought it was quite bizarre to be walked through just like a ghost, and went to draw the curtains at his window.

The sky outside the window was ruby-red; it seemed to be sunset. The wizard went back to the desk, sat down, and twiddled his thumbs, watching the door. It was quite obvious he was waiting for someone and Rohini couldn't help but feel thrilled. If Tom Riddle hadn't lie, this was going to be the big revelation of who had opened the Chamber the first time.

There was a knock on the office door.

"Enter," said the old wizard in a feeble voice.

A boy of about sixteen entered. A silver prefect's badge was glinting on his chest. He was much taller than Rohini and would probably be considered pretty by many, though he wasn't conform to Rohini's personal tastes.

"Ah, Riddle," said the headmaster.

"You wanted to see me, Professor Dippet?" said Riddle. He looked nervous.

"Sit down," said Dippet. "I've just been reading the letter you sent me."

"Oh," said Riddle. He sat down, gripping his hands together very tightly. Rohini felt like something was off about him but she couldn't say what exactly.

"My dear boy," said Dippet kindly, "I cannot possibly let you stay at school over the summer. Surely you want to go home for the holidays?"

"No," said Riddle at once. "I'd much rather stay at Hogwarts than go back to that—to that—"

"You live in a Muggle orphanage during the holidays, I believe?" said Dippet curiously.

"Yes, sir," said Riddle, reddening slightly.

"You are Muggle-born?"

"Half-blood, sir," said Riddle. "Muggle father, witch mother."

"And are both your parents—?"

"My mother died just after I was born, sir. They told me at the orphanage she lived just long enough to name me—Tom after my father, Marvolo after my grandfather."

Dippet clucked his tongue sympathetically. Rohini was hoping they would talk about the Chamber soon, for she didn't know how long she could stay within the diary's memories.

"The thing is, Tom," he sighed, "special arrangements might have been made for you, but in the current circumstances…"

"You mean all these attacks, sir?" said Riddle. ' _Finally_!" Rohini thought.

"Precisely," said the headmaster. "My dear boy, you must see how foolish it would be of me to allow you to remain at the castle when term ends. Particularly in light of the recent tragedy… the death of that poor little girl… You will be safer by far at your orphanage. As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Magic is even now talking about closing the school. We are no nearer locating the—er—source of all this unpleasantness…"

Riddle's eyes had widened.

"Sir—if the person was caught—if it all stopped—"

"What do you mean?" said Dippet with a squeak in his voice, sitting up in his chair. "Riddle, do you mean you know something about these attacks?"

"No, sir," said Riddle quickly. Rohini rolled her eyes; it was obviously a lie and something told her Riddle was being a poor actor on purpose.

Dippet sank back, looking faintly disappointed.

"You may go, Tom…"

Riddle slid off his chair and slouched out of the room. Rohini tried to talk to him, asking why he didn't tell the truth and what was the meaning of all this, but Riddle didn't even look at her.

Down the moving spiral staircase they went, emerging next to the gargoyle in the darkening corridor. Then Riddle suddenly hurried off, and Rohini cursed as she ran after him. They didn't see another person until they reached the entrance hall, when a tall wizard with long, sweeping auburn hair and a beard called to Riddle from the marble staircase.

"What are you doing, wandering around this late, Tom?"

Rohini gasped: He was none other than a fifty-year-younger Dumbledore.

"I had to see the headmaster, sir," said Riddle.

"Well, hurry off to bed," said Dumbledore, giving Riddle exactly the kind of penetrating stare Rohini knew so well. "Best not to roam the corridors these days. Not since…"

He sighed heavily, bade Riddle good night, and strode off. Riddle watched him walk out of sight and then, moving quickly, headed straight down the stone steps to the dungeons. That's when Rohini realised that Padma had been wrong; Tom wasn't a Ravenclaw but a Slytherin. Was he heading to their Common Room?

Riddle led her not into a hidden passageway or a secret tunnel but to the very dungeon in which students had Potions with Snape. The torches hadn't been lit, and when Riddle pushed the door almost closed, Rohini could only just see him, standing stock-still by the door, watching the passage outside.

All she could see was the figure of Riddle at the door, staring through the crack, waiting like a statue when they heard something move beyond the door.

Someone was creeping along the passage. Riddle, quiet as a shadow, edged through the door and Rohini felt her heartbeat getting faster.

For perhaps five minutes they followed the footsteps, until Riddle stopped suddenly, his head inclined in the direction of new noises. Rohini froze when she recognised the voice coming from the room…

"C'mon… gotta get yeh outta here… C'mon now… in the box…"

 _Hagrid. It was Hagrid._

Riddle suddenly jumped around the corner. Rohini saw the dark outline of a huge boy who was crouching in front of an open door, a very large box next to it. Only Hagrid could be that huge.

"'Evening, Rubeus," said Riddle sharply. Rohini closed her eyes, refusing to believe it.

Hagrid slammed the door shut and stood up.

"What yer doin' down here, Tom?"

Riddle stepped closer.

"It's all over," he said. "I'm going to have to turn you in, Rubeus. They're talking about closing Hogwarts if the attacks don't stop."

"What d'yeh—"

"I don't think you meant to kill anyone. But monsters don't make good pets. I suppose you just let it out for exercise and—"

"It never killed no one!" said the large boy, backing against the closed door. From behind him, Rohini could hear a funny rustling and clicking.

"Come on, Rubeus," said Riddle, moving yet closer. Rohini would have pushed him away if she could. "The dead girl's parents will be here tomorrow. The least Hogwarts can do is make sure that the thing that killed their daughter is slaughtered…"

"It wasn't him!" roared Hagrid, his voice echoing in the dark passage. "He wouldn'! He never!"

"Stand aside," said Riddle, drawing out his wand. Rohini shouted "No!" but nobody heard.

The spell lit the corridor with a sudden flaming light. The door behind Hagrid flew open with such force it knocked him into the wall opposite. As Rohini helplessly ran to Hagrid, a vast, low-slung, hairy body and a tangle of black legs; a gleam of many eyes and a pair of razor-sharp pincers came out. A spider.

Riddle raised his wand again, but he was too late. The thing bowled him over as it scuttled away, tearing up the corridor and out of sight. Riddle scrambled to his feet, looking after it; he raised his wand and Hagrid stood up and threw himself at him.

"Hagrid!" Rohini screamed, horrified. "Hagrid!"

The scene whirled, the darkness became complete; before she knew it, Rohini was back in her own reality, gasping and petrified from the shock. She felt at lost for she couldn't decide who to believe; Tom Riddle, from whom she had never heard before and made her feel unsure, or her friend Hagrid who tend to keep dangerous animals as pets?

More importantly, should she talk about it with Harry? She knew that Ron and Hermione would believe Riddle for sure. But Harry?

Rohini shook her head. If Hagrid had truly been guilty, he wouldn't have been able to stay on Hogwarts' ground and Dumbledore would have already investigated him as soon as the attacks had begun.

Should Rohini talk about her discovery to Dumbledore? Or keep it for herself until she saw things more clearly? It felt like too much pressure for a 12 years old girl. She wished Harry had been the one discovering Riddle's diary.

As one in the morning rang, she sneaked back to her dorm and made sure that Padma was still asleep when she tried to contact Harry with the Two Ways Mirror.

"hshmmwhat?" Harry said sleepily.

"I need to tell you something important." Rohini said. "Alone. Now."

"But it's 1am!" Harry said a bit loudly and Rohini shushed him. "Fine, lemme grab Dad's cloak."

"Meet you at the Old Witch statue." Rohini told him. Then she looked by the window at the shining moon. Some people said that night made you wiser. Right now, she only felt more lost. Harry's hair was even messier than usual when they met and hid under the cloak.

Rohini hoped she wasn't doing a grave mistake by telling the truth to Harry. The more she talked, the more he looked awake and speechless. As she reached the horrible end of the story, he took a deep breath and thought about it for a while.

"I don't know what to think." He finally admitted. "Maybe we shouldn't say anything to Hagrid unless there's another attack. I mean, if he was expelled for it, he probably doesn't want another reminder of that."

"Yeah, you're right." Rohini sighed. "Also, promise you will not talk about it to Ron or Hermione. I love them, but…"

"They are our friends, Rohini."

"Friends that barely believed us when we heard voices and were untrusty about the whole Parseltongue thing?" Rohini reminded him, slightly bitter. She was one to forgive but not forget.

"Alright, alright." Harry said quickly. "You're aware you sound like a Slytherin sometimes?"

"Oh, bugger!" Rohini said, ruffling his hair. Harry shushed her and glanced around to make sure they hadn't awoken Peeves or Filch, but they were still alone. "Thanks for coming tonight. I really needed to talk to somebody about it."

"No problem. I'm the cool twin, after all." Harry said and Rohini reminded him that _she_ was the cooler one. Then she told him goodnight for they weren't going to get much sleep at this rate and it's feeling better than she finally slid under her blanket, Thranduil lying on her back.

Xxx

The days went by with no whisper from the disembodied voice and nobody had been attacked in four month. Rohini hadn't used the diary again, hiding it under her bed. When Padma and Luna had asked, she lied and said it was actually writing profanities at her when she had tried to use it. It was yet another lie and she felt mortified about it.

Peeves had finally got bored of his "Oh, Potter, you rotter" song, Ernie Macmillan asked Harry quite politely to pass a bucket of leaping toadstools in Herbology one day and even smiled apologetically to Rohini when she walked past him, and in March several of the Mandrakes threw a loud and raucous party in greenhouse three which means they were almost ready.

"The moment they start trying to move into each other's pots, we'll know they're fully mature," she told them. "Then we'll be able to revive those poor people in the hospital wing."

The second years were given something new to think about during their Easter holidays. The time had come to choose their subjects for the third year, a matter that both Hermione and Rohini were taking extremely seriously.

"It could affect our whole future," they told Harry and Ron as they pored over lists of new subjects, marking them with checks.

"I just want to give up Potions," said Harry. Rohini patted his shoulder, feeling exactly the same.

"We can't," said Ron gloomily. "We keep all our old subjects, or I'd've ditched Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Same." The twins said in unison and Hermione gasped.

"But that's very important!" she said, shocked. Rohini snorted and went back to the list, trying to figure out what classes to take. Ron and Hermione continued to argue about it.

Harry ended up closing his eyes and jabbing his wand at the list, then picking the subjects it landed on. It was apparently something only people raised by Muggles did for Ron didn't know about this method.

"It's not like Rohini and I can tell about our career in wizardry with our Uncle and Aunt." Harry said when Hermione told him he should have chosen more wisely.

"Padma took Divination so I think I'm gonna take it too. And Care for Magical Creatures, of course." Rohini said. "No need for the Muggle Studies, we're from a Muggle background. I wonder if I should take the Study of Ancient Runes…? Yeah, I'm gonna take it too."

"You're crazy." Ron said, shaking head. Then the discussion went back to Quidditch:

Gryffindor's next Quidditch match would be against Hufflepuff. Wood was insisting on team practices every night after dinner, so that Harry barely had time for anything but Quidditch and homework which Rohini sometimes did for him.

Rohini barely listened, distracted by a ray of sunshine falling on Padma's hair and making them shine. How did she get that result? Rohini's hair never looked like that. Maybe she should borrow Padma's shampoo? Or maybe it was all in the genes…

She was interrupted in her oh so important thoughts by Zoe Queens, a fellow Ravenclaw, who came running at her.

"Rohini! You need to come to our dorm, now!" She told her, grabbing Rohini by the arm and pulling her after her.

"Zoe wait, what happened-" Rohini began before freezing as she walked into her bedroom. The contents of her trunk had been thrown everywhere. The bedclothes had been pulled off her four-poster and the drawer had been pulled out of her bedside cabinet, the contents strewn over the mattress. It was a real mess.

"Oh no, no, no!" Rohini said, kneeling and checking what was missing. Who could have done that?

She felt somebody kneeled next to her and hugging her, trying to calm her down.

"Shhh, shh…" Padma said, gently rubbing her back. "It's ok, we'll find out who did this. It's ok, don't worry."

"Why would someone do that?" Rohini asked, distressed. "Is it about the whole Heiress of Slytherin thing?"

"Did they take something from you?" Luna asked as she helped Zoe and two other girls to clean up the mess.

"I dunno, don't think so." Rohini said, looking around. As she take a look under her bed, she realised Riddle's diary wasn't here anymore. "My diary is gone. I can't find it, it's… it's gone!" She said, sounding half hysterical; what if they discovered the truth about Hagrid? Worse, what if they spread the information and would force Hagrid to be sent away from Hogwarts?

For the first time in four months, things were turning sour again. And there was only one solution to protect Hagrid; discovering who was behind the attacks and what kind of creature was behind them.

"Oh, shoot!" Zoe said as she picked up Rohini's book of _Fantastic Beasts_ by the wrong end and one of the pages was torn off. "I'm so sorry, Rohini!"

"It's alright, I will repair it tomo-"Rohini began before freezing, eyes opened wide as she stared at the ripped page. Something important was linked to this, she could feel it. But what? A ripped page, a ripped page, a ripped page…

 _Malfoy_. Months ago, when they were buying their school supplies, Rohini had seen him ripping a page from a book. A page about Basilisks. And suddenly, everything became as clear as a river.

Rohini stood up and ran out of the dorms under the girls' puzzled gazes and ran, ran, ran, always faster and looking for Harry. She took a sharp turn and almost bumped into McGonagall who was followed by Harry and Ron.

"Professor, I-!" She began but stopped, realising something was wrong. Professor McGonagall's expression was so grim that it could only mean one thing: there had been a new attack.

"Potter, you might want to come with us." The old witch said and Rohini nodded before following her, exchanging a nervous glance with the boys. Ron whispered to her that the Quidditch game for tomorrow had been cancelled and that Wood was furious. Rohini understood Harry's grim expression better now.

"This will be a bit of a shock," said Professor McGonagall in a surprisingly gentle voice as they approached the infirmary. "There has been another attack… another double attack."

Rohini felt that insides did a horrible somersault. Professor McGonagall pushed the door open and they entered, Rohini taking her brother's hand and squeezing it.

Madam Pomfrey was bending over a sixth-year girl with long, curly hair. Rohini recognised her as a Ravenclaw she had sometimes sat next to for dinner. And on the bed next to her was—

"Oh no!" Rohini said, closing her eyes and looking away.

"Hermione!" Ron said, horrified as Harry stared in silence. Hermione laid utterly still, her eyes open and glassy.


	15. Chapter 15

Rohini had barely realised McGonagall was talking again; she felt like she was isolated in a bubble, sounds deformed and her vision blurred. It couldn't be. Not Hermione, not her friend!

"They were found near the library," said Professor McGonagall. "I don't suppose either of you can explain this? It was on the floor next to them…"

She was holding up a small, circular mirror.

Harry and Ron shook their heads, both staring at Hermione. Rohini on the other hand, knew what it was about but she wasn't able to talk on this instant.

"I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower," said Professor McGonagall heavily. "I need to address the students in any case. As for you Miss Potter, wait here. I will ask the Ravenclaw Head Girl to come and escort you back to your Common Room."

Rohini nodded. When she was sure nobody else was here, she sat on the bed next to Hermione and took her icy hand in hers.

"You knew that it was a Basilisk, didn't you?" Rohini asked softly though Hermione couldn't answer. "That's why you had a mirror with you; to avoid looking directly into its eyes. But how did you know?"

Rohini's finger suddenly touched something hidden in Hermione's clenched hand. Frowning, Rohini did her best to take it off and was shocked to discover it was a page ripped off a book. Not only that, but it was about the Basilisk. Rohini knew that Hermione worshiped books too much to have done it herself.

Malfoy however… didn't she see him ripping the same page off _Most Macabre Monstrosities_?

But it was impossible; Malfoy was the first one to say he couldn't wait for the creature to attack Hermione so why would he have somehow helped her by giving her such crucial information? And how did he even manage to give it to her? It was illogical.

Plus, it meant Malfoy would have known all along what was attacking the students, probably getting the information from his father… but again, how would have Lucius Malfoy know?

Rohini glanced at the page again; in Hermione's handwriting was written "Pipes". Of course; how could a monster that big goes around without being spotted if not by being crawling through the walls? It would also explain the voices Harry and she heard before every attack; a Basilisk was the King of Snakes. Both twins were Parseltongue.

Conclusion? Definitely a Basilisk.

Rohini felt like her head was going to explode. She felt extremely dizzy and she didn't realised her legs had given up and she had slipped from the bed until Madam Pomfrey arrived and helped her to sit on a chair before giving her something bitter and strong enough to calm her down.

"Your Head Girl is waiting at the door to escort you back." Madam Pomfrey said, gentler than usual. "You should hurry."

Rohini agreed weakly and left, the ripped page still in her hand. She followed the oldest girl to their Common Room where Padma and Luna were waiting for her. They barely talked, sitting together on the couch even though there wasn't much space.

"How are you doing?" Padma asked softly. Rohini shrugged.

"It might help to talk." Luna suggested. "But only if you want to. No need to force yourself either."

"Thanks." Rohini said. "Actually, maybe you're right. I'm tired of lying."

"Take your time." Padma said softly and Rohini nodded, trying to figure out what to say and what to keep to herself. Finally, she took a deep breath and said:

"I'm scared. Scared and confused." She admitted, staring at the fire in front of them. The flames were reflecting on her glasses but it didn't felt warm enough. Or maybe it was but she couldn't feel it because of her state of mind.

"I think I know what attacked the students and why none of them died and were petrified instead." She finally admitted and her friends straightened up. "I can't tell you how exactly I guessed it, because even for me it's still a bit confusing."

"Is it why you stormed out of the Common Room earlier?" Padma asked. "Because you guessed what the creature was?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'm honestly feeling so stupid for not realising sooner. There were some signals I should have spotted, some clues that I should have remembered earlier."

"Don't be too harsh on yourself." Padma said with a frown. "You're only 12. Try to remember that."

"Thanks." Rohini said with a weak smile. "Anyway, if my guess is right… we're dealing with a Basilisk. You've probably read about them before though we haven't talk about them in classes yet. Here is what _Most Macabre Monstrosities_ says about them:

 _Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size, and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad._

 _Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it_."

"That's horrifying." Padma said, rubbing her arms and shivering. "Have you told the teachers yet? If they know what they need to fight, then they might be able to get rid of it and Hogwarts will be safe again!"

"I haven't, no." Rohini said and Padma opened her mouth but Rohini cut her. "Listen: they have no idea where the Chamber of Secrets is, right? So, even if they knew what the menace was, how are they going to be able to stop it? By taking off every wall one by one? That's impossible."

"I know who could help." Luna suddenly said. Padma and Rohini looked at her, curious. "The Ghosts."

"They would have probably already told Dumbledore if they knew something." Padma said, disappointed. Rohini however felt like Luna had said something interesting.

"Not necessary; some ghosts aren't that friendly and cooperative; Peeves, the Bloody Baron, Moaning Myrt-"Rohini began before stopping. "Moaning Myrtle, of course! Luna, you're a genius!" She said, kissing Luna's cheek before rushing out of the Common Room.

However, she didn't went far; Percy who was patrolling with the Hufflepuff prefect spotted her and escorted her back to her Common Room, lecturing her about how reckless it was to sneak out alone in such a dark time.

Of course, it wasn't going to stop Rohini; using the Two Way Mirror to contact Harry, she soon was out and safe under their father's cloak, Harry's eyes opening wider and wider as Rohini told him what she had discovered.

"The Basilisk kills people by looking at them. But no one's died—because no one looked it straight in the eye. From what you told me, Colin saw it through his camera. The basilisk burned up all the film inside it, but Colin just got Petrified." Rohini explained before going quiet as they walked past the Hufflepuff ghost.

"Justin… Justin must've seen the basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick! Nick got the full blast of it, but he couldn't die again…" Harry continued and Rohini nodded. "Hermione had a mirror, probably because she had just found out about the Basilisk."

"Exactly. Gosh, that's horrifying. They all could have died so easily…"

"But why do you think Moaning Myrtle might be the student that died, fifty years ago?" Harry asked while folding his cloak as they stood up in front of the unused girls' bathroom.

"It's all thanks to Luna. She told me ghosts were probably going to have some kind of answers and then it hit me; we know that a student, a girl, died fifty years ago. That's what Riddle told me, remember? And who is the only ghost looking young enough to be the victim?"

"Moaning Myrtle." Harry said. "Wow, to think we never thought about questioning her…"

"We couldn't have possibly known. We're only 12, not as clever as I wish we were." Rohini said, borrowing Padma's words. "Ready?"

"Ready." Harry repeated and they both entered the bathroom. Moaning Myrtle was, as usual, moaning in her favourite toilet when Rohini called her. Her head appeared through the door and her body followed when she saw who it was.

"What do you want?" She barked and Rohini glanced at Harry. Moaning Myrtle seemed to like him more and it would probably be more efficient if Harry was the one asking questions.

"Hello, Myrtle." He said. "Rohini and I, we were wondering, hum, how you, you know… died?" He finished, dancing from one foot to another awkwardly.

"Ooooh, it was dreadful," she said with relish. "It happened right in here. I died in this very stall. I remember it so well. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in. They said something funny. A different language, I think it must have been. Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door, to tell him to go and use his own toilet, and then—" Myrtle swelled importantly, her face shining. "I died."

"How?" Asked the twins.

"No idea," said Myrtle in hushed tones. "I just remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes. My whole body sort of seized up, and then I was floating away…" She looked dreamily at Harry. "And then I came back again. I was determined to haunt Olive Hornby, you see. Oh, she was sorry she'd ever laughed at my glasses."

Before Rohini could ask for more details, they heard somebody pushing the door opened. Rohini had barely had the time to push Harry in a stall and close the door behind him that Filch appeared, a nasty smile on his lips.

"Couldn't help but come back to the place of your crime, Potter?" He asked and Rohini gulped. "I knew it was you all along!"

"I was just having a chat with Myrtle. There's no rule against talking to a ghost." Rohini tried to defend herself.

"Students aren't allowed to be out alone at such an hour." Filch said, pointing his mop at Rohini. "You're breaking the rules again, Potter! This time, Dumbledore will be forced to punish you!" And before Rohini could protest, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her after him.

Rohini could tell Harry was following them under his invisibility cloak for the door opened and closed again behind them.

They didn't have to head far away to find the Headmaster; they took a turn and fell face to face with Dumbledore, a man Rohini recognised as Cornelius Fudge the Minister of Magic and to her horror, Lucius Malfoy.

"Ah, Headmaster!" Filch said, sounding way too cheerful as he pushed Rohini in front of him. "I've caught her plotting right where my cat had been attacked! It's against the new rule for a student to be out alone!"

"I wasn't plotting!" Rohini protested before a single glance from Dumbledore calmed her down. Lucius Malfoy was smiling as if it was the most entertaining thing he had ever seen in a while.

"Thank you for making sure everybody is safe, Argus." Dumbledore said, his hand resting on Rohini's shoulder. "I will make sure to escort Miss Potter myself once some things are settled."

Filch lost his smile instantly and took his leave quickly. Rohini gulped, not sure of what to do or say. She could feel Harry's silent presence by her side and wished she could be hiding under the cloak too.

"Rohini, let me introduce you to Mr. Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, and Mr. Lucius Malfoy."

"Pleasure." Rohini said, shaking hands awkwardly with Fudge and ignoring Malfoy. "Maybe I should just go back to the Ravenclaw Tower by myself? No need to escort me."

"In such time, walking alone?" Fudge said. "Foolish! Albus, maybe Lucius and I should go visit Hagrid alone and-"

"Hagrid?" Rohini cut him, worried. "Did something happen to him? Is it about the Chamber?"

Fudge exchanged an uncomfortable glance with Dumbledore. Before they could say anything, Lockhart's cheerful voice rose behind them as the wizard appeared, dressed in one of his ugly lilac robes. Rohini groaned; now wasn't the time for it.

"Cornelius, my friend!" Lockhart said, shaking hands with the Minister with one of his shiny smiles. "And isn't it Lucius! How are you doing, you bad boy?"

"Lockhart. I'm surprised to see you here." Malfoy said with a cold politeness. He clearly wasn't fond of Lockhart who looked surprised when he saw Rohini.

"Oh my, isn't it Miss Potter!"

"Ah, Gilderoy." Dumbledore said with a smile. "You're the man I was looking for. Would you mind escorting the young Potter to her Common Room? I would have done it myself, but as you can see I'm needed for important matters."

"Yes of course, of course!" Lockhart said, beaming. "It's always a pleasure to make sure of the safety of one of my favourite students!" He said with a stupid laugh and Rohini resisted the urge to pinch her nose. He was such a joke of a teacher.

"Good." Dumbledore said and the three men left, heading to Hagrid's hut. Lockhart smiled at Rohini and began to warn her about the danger of wanting to catch a monster all by herself when she wasn't as strong as him and soon it became obvious Lockhart wasn't paying any attention to her, too occupied talking about himself.

"Come." Harry whispered behind her, raising the cloak so Rohini could sneak under. Without a look at Lockhart who had probably already forgotten what he was supposed to do, they hurried to go after Dumbledore and the two other men.

They had just closed the door of Hagrid's hut when the twins arrived and so they rested an ear against the door to listen to what was behind said.

"Bad business, Hagrid," said Fudge in rather clipped tones. "Very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggle-borns. Things've gone far enough. Ministry's got to act."

"I never," said Hagrid and Rohini could tell he was hurt. "You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir—"

"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence," said Dumbledore.

"Look, Albus," said Fudge, uncomfortably. "Hagrid's record's against him. Ministry's got to do something—the school governors have been in touch—"

"Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest," said Dumbledore. Rohini nodded even though nobody could see her.

"Look at it from my point of view," said Fudge. "I'm under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen to be doing something. If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll be back and no more said. But I've got to take him. Got to. Wouldn't be doing my duty—"

"Take me?" said Hagrid with a trembling voice. "Take me where?"

"For a short stretch only," said Fudge, not meeting Hagrid's eyes. "Not a punishment, Hagrid, more a precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be let out with a full apology—"

"Not Azkaban?" croaked Hagrid. Rohini gasped and Harry elbowed her.

"I don't think Hagrid have his place in a jail." Dumbledore said and Rohini could feel his anger under the calmness of his voice.

"Oh, please." Lucius Malfoy said with disdain. "I'm sorry to announce that you aren't in position to make decision for the Minister anymore, Dumbledore."

"What does he mean?" Harry whispered and Rohini shrugged before leaning closer to the door. Damn her bloody deaf ear, it was hard to understand what was being said with only one ear functioning properly.

"The governors feel it's time for you to step aside. This is an Order of Suspension—you'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Two more this afternoon, wasn't it? At this rate, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an awful loss that would be to the school."

"Oh no, he didn't!" Rohini said between her teeth as Harry stared at her, in shock. They couldn't suspend Dumbledore, not now!

"Oh, now, see here, Lucius," said Fudge, sounding alarmed, "Dumbledore suspended—no, no—last thing we want just now—"

"The appointment—or suspension—of the headmaster is a matter for the governors, Fudge," said Mr. Malfoy smoothly. "And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attacks—"

"See here, Malfoy, if Dumbledore can't stop them," said Fudge, whose upper lip was sweating now, "I mean to say, who can?"

"That remains to be seen," said Mr. Malfoy with a nasty smile. "But as all twelve of us have voted—"

Hagrid leapt to his feet, his shaggy black head grazing the ceiling.

"An' how many did yeh have ter threaten an' blackmail before they agreed, Malfoy, eh?" he roared.

"Dear, dear, you know, that temper of yours will lead you into trouble one of these days, Hagrid," said Mr. Malfoy. "I would advise you not to shout at the Azkaban guards like that. They won't like it at all."

"Yeh can' take Dumbledore!" yelled Hagrid, making Fang the boarhound cower and whimper in his basket. "Take him away, an' the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance! There'll be killin' next!"

"Calm yourself, Hagrid," said Dumbledore sharply. "If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside."

"But—" stuttered Fudge.

"No!" growled Hagrid.

"He can't!" Harry said in a hushed voice.

"However," said Dumbledore, speaking very slowly and clearly so that none of them could miss a word, "you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

Rohini couldn't explain why, but she felt like those words were directed to Harry and her specifically.

"Admirable sentiments," said Malfoy with a scoff. "We shall all miss your—er—highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope that your successor will manage to prevent any—ah—killings."

He strode to the cabin door and the twins stepped away right it time before he opened it, and bowed Dumbledore out. Fudge, fiddling with his bowler, waited for Hagrid to go ahead of him. Hagrid took the time to say goodbye to Fang who wept as his owner left.

"We're in trouble now," Harry said hoarsely as soon as the four men were gone. "No Dumbledore. They might as well close the school tonight. There'll be an attack a day with him gone."

"Except if we put an end to it." Rohini said, looking into Harry's eyes with determination. "We need to figure out the entrance of the Chamber of Secrets and the sooner, the better."

Fang started howling, scratching at the closed door. They were running out of time, now.

Xxx

x x x

x

 **Hi guys!**

 **I'm going to take a few seconds to talk about how this chapter doesn't really follow the book truthfully. I'm aware some people don't like it when writers differ from the book/follow the movie instead etc etc. But hey, this is a fanfiction which means I can change things to suit Rohini's storyline more.**  
 **Rohini is different from Harry so I think it's normal that the story shift a bit according to her. For example, they aren't going to go find Aragorn since Hagrid didn't know they were here and couldn't give them the information. Plus, Rohini have already guessed what they were facing: a Basilisk.**

 **I honestly hope those changes don't bother you guys too much and again, thank you for reading Returning Home, Finding the Chamber. You guys are the best 3**


	16. Chapter 16

When Rohini sneaked back into her dorm that night, she hadn't expected Padma and Luna to be both awake and waiting for her. Rohini gulped; now that she had somehow involved her friends, she probably shouldn't hide what she had discovered. They talked in low voices though Rohini was speaking slightly louder, as usual.

"Dumbledore is gone?!" Padma said, horrified. "But why?"

"Lucius Malfoy probably blackmailed people for that. Who would be sane enough to send him away otherwise?" Rohini said, bitter. "Plus, I have some reasons to think he knows what is behind the attacks…"

"He sounds like a horrible man." Luna said with a frown. "My dad told me about him."

"He is, yeah." Rohini said with a nod. "Anyway, our biggest problem now is to find out where the Chamber is."

"Did you ask Myrtle?" Luna said and Rohini told her about how the poor girl had died. "She must feel so lonely…"

"Let's make a list of everything we learnt so far." Padma suggested wisely and Rohini grabbed some ink, quilt and parchment from her bag. Luna used the Lumos charm, making a few girls groan in their sleep and the three girls began to work:

\- _Slytherin built the Chamber of Secrets when Hogwarts was founded._

\- _He hid a Basilisk in it._

\- _50 years ago, someone opened the Chambers and attacked Muggleborns._

\- _Myrtle was the last victim, dying after looking into the Basilisk's eyes directly._

\- _She is haunting the bathroom where she died._

\- _The heir of Slytherin is definitely a Parseltongue to be able to control the beast._

\- _Who_ _?_

"We also know that the Basilisk use the plumbing to circulate through the castle." Rohini said and Padma added it. "So, how did he get inside in the first place?"

"A sink." Padma said, clapping her hands. "We had a plumbing problem at home last summer and it was linked to our kitchen sink."

"But how did such a huge beast could get inside one?" Rohini asked with a frown.

"Touché." Padma sighed, disappointed. Luna said nothing, her fingers playing with her lips as she seemed to consider it.

"The sink could be a fake?" She suddenly suggested and the two girls looked at her. "If the Chamber is hidden, maybe it's in the form of a sink?"

"Which could explain why it was never found." Rohini said, feeling suddenly quite excited. "Imagine: Slytherin creates a specific kind of pipes that go through the whole castle without the three other founders' knowledge. Then, he hid the entrance with a sink. Before that, he had already left the Basilisk inside. It was probably a young one if it's still alive nowadays, or maybe there was more than one. Hopefully not."

"He probably enchanted the entrance so that only a Parseltongue could open it." Padma added. "So now, all we have to do is warn the teachers so they will check every sink of Hogwarts and find the entrance!"

"But none of them speak Parseltongue, do they?" Luna asked.

"True." Rohini admitted. "Maybe Harry and I should try to find the entrance first and once we do, go warn Professor McGonagall or Professor Flitwick."

"Or Professor Lockhart." Padma added. Rohini pretended she hadn't heard her. "Though I'm against this plan; it's too dangerous, Rohini. What if you two find the entrance and the Basilisk attacks you on spot?"

"Then they would have the confirmation that we found out where the Chamber was." Rohini said and her friends looked at her grimly. "Honestly, we can't risk more people's lives. Whoever set the Basilisk free almost got Hermione. I don't want another Moaning Myrtle to haunt the castle because we were too afraid to act." Rohini said gravely.

"I should go tell Professor McGonagall about this stupid plan of yours." Padma sighed. "I really should."

"Padma, please. Trust me." Rohini begged and Padma looked away, biting her lip in worry. "If I die, I promise you can become Thranduil's new mum." Rohini tried to joke and Padma hit her with her pillow. "Fine, fine, I get it, I'm sorry!"

"I believe in you, Rohini." Luna said with a kind smile. "And I also understand Padma's worries. You're both right."

"Let's just go to sleep for now." Padma sighed. "I'm exhausted, though I doubt I will sleep that much now."

"Good idea." Rohini said with a nod. She folded the list and put it back into her bag. It felt odd, to probably be holding the answer to the mystery surrounding the Chamber of Secrets and be one of the rare persons able to open it.

Luna said goodnight and left for her own bedroom. Padma slipped under her own blanket, her back to Rohini. They lay wide awake for a while, listening to their roommates' snores and shifting. An owl hooted outside and Rohini wondered if she had taken the right decision. But then she thought about Hermione, Colin and the other victims and thought that they deserved to find their assailant stopped.

When Rohini finally fell asleep, it was to find herself caught in dreadful nightmares about huge snakes and skeletons.

Xxx

The next day, Professor McGonagall made a hopeful announcement at dinner.

"I have good news," she said, and the Great Hall, instead of falling silent, erupted.

"Dumbledore's coming back!" several people yelled joyfully.

"You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!" squealed a girl at the Ravenclaw table.

"Quidditch matches are back on!" roared Wood excitedly.

"Exams are cancelled!" The Weasley twins shouted.

When the hubbub had subsided, Professor McGonagall said, "Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit."

Rohini was grinning widely. Finally some good news! She headed towards the Gryffindor table to talk to Harry about what she and the girls deduced last night and accidentally bumped into Ginny who was running away, looking definitely weaker than ever.

"Wait, Ginny!" She said, trying to run after her but she was stopped by the Weasley twins who pulled her into a dance to celebrate McGonagall's announcement. When they finally let her go to tease Percy instead, Ginny was nowhere to be seen.

"Harry, I have something to tell you." She said. Ron raised his head, interested.

"Is it about the Chamber? Harry told me what you discover." He said and Rohini threw an offended glance at Harry who looked away in guilt.

"You said you'll keep it to yourself!" She told Harry. "You liar!"

"Ron is my best friend, Rohini." Harry said, waving at her to speak less loudly. "And you told both Padma and Luna yourself."

"Because _they_ never doubted me." Rohini said, looking hurt. "You know what, never mind." She said, turning on her heels and heading out of the Great Hall, Harry and Ron going after her and shooting her name.

"Rohini, come on! Tell us what you found out!" Harry said as they finally caught up with her. Rohini was going to add something when echoing through the corridors came Professor McGonagall's voice, magically magnified.

"All students to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staffroom. Immediately, please."

Rohini gulped. The tone of the old witch's voice could only mean one thing: there had been another attack.

"Not another attack? Not now?" She said, distressed.

"What'll we do?" said Ron, aghast. "Go back to the dormitory?"

"No," said Harry, glancing around. "That's the staffroom, let's hide inside. I have dad's cloak with me."

They hid themselves under it, listening to the rumbling of hundreds of people moving overhead, and the staffroom door banging open. Teachers came in. Some of them were looking puzzled, others downright scared. Then Professor McGonagall arrived.

"It has happened," she told the silent staffroom. "A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself."

Professor Flitwick let out a squeal. Professor Sprout clapped her hands over her mouth. Snape gripped the back of a chair very hard and said, "How can you be sure?"

"The Heir of Slytherin," said Professor McGonagall, who was very white, "left another message. Right underneath the first one. 'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.'"

Professor Flitwick burst into tears. Rohini covered her mouth with her hands.

"Who is it?" said Madam Hooch, who had sunk, weak-kneed, into a chair. "Which student?"

"Ginny Weasley," said Professor McGonagall.

Ron would have probably fall if it wasn't for Harry's strong grip. Rohini hold back a sob; if she had followed Ginny earlier she would have never been taken away. It was her fault.

"We shall have to send all the students home tomorrow," said Professor McGonagall. "This is the end of Hogwarts. Dumbledore always said…"

The staffroom door banged open again. For one wild moment, Rohini was sure it would be Dumbledore. But it was Lockhart, and he was beaming. She clenched her fists, wishing she could punch him in his perfect teeth.

"So sorry—dozed off—what have I missed?"

He didn't seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him with something remarkably like hatred. Snape stepped forward.

"Just the man," he said. "The very man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come at last."

Lockhart blanched.

"That's right, Gilderoy," chipped in Professor Sprout. "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"

"I—well, I—" sputtered Lockhart.

"Yes, didn't you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?" piped up Professor Flitwick.

"D-did I? I don't recall—"

"I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn't had a crack at the monster before Hagrid was arrested," said Snape. "Didn't you say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have been given a free rein from the first?"

Lockhart stared around at his stony-faced colleagues. Rohini would have savoured his expression if the situation wasn't so dramatic.

"I—I really never—you may have misunderstood—"

"We'll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy," said Professor McGonagall. "Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We'll make sure everyone's out of your way. You'll be able to tackle the monster all by yourself. A free rein at last."

Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but nobody came to the rescue. He didn't look remotely handsome anymore. His lip was trembling, and in the absence of his usually toothy grin, he looked weak-chinned and feeble.

"V-very well," he said. "I'll—I'll be in my office, getting—getting ready."

And he left the room.

"Right," said Professor McGonagall, whose nostrils were flared, "that's got him out from under our feet. The Heads of Houses should go and inform their students what has happened. Tell them the Hogwarts Express will take them home first thing tomorrow. Will the rest of you please make sure no students have been left outside their dormitories."

The teachers rose and left, one by one. As soon as they were alone, Rohini stepped out of the cloak and fell on a chair, staring at her trembling hands. Ron was pacing, looking paler than death. Harry was turning their back to them but Rohini had no problem trying to figure out how he felt.

"She knew something, Harry," said Ron, speaking for the first time since they had entered the wardrobe in the staffroom. "That's why she was taken. It wasn't some stupid thing about Percy at all. She'd found out something about the Chamber of Secrets. That must be why she was—" Ron rubbed his eyes frantically. "I mean, she was a pureblood. There can't be any other reason."

"I almost stopped her." Rohini said. "When she left, I wanted to go after her. I should have put more effort into following her. I could have saved her."

"Rohini, stop it." Harry said. "It's not your fault."

"Harry is right." Ron said. "We could have gone after her too. D'you think there's any chance at all she's not—you know—"

"Yeah." Rohini said, nodding weakly. "Ginny is strong. I'm sure she's still alive."

Both Harry and Ron agreed.

"D'you know what?" said Ron. "I think we should go and see Lockhart. Tell him what we know. He's going to try and get into the Chamber. We can tell him where we think it is, and tell him it's a basilisk in there."

"Oh, Ron." Rohini said. "Do you truly believe him? He's probably packing to leave right now, this coward."

"Well at least we'd be able to expose him and he'll never teach at Hogwarts again." Ron said. Darkness was falling as they walked down to Lockhart's office. There seemed to be a lot of activity going on inside it. They could hear scraping, thumps, and hurried footsteps.

Harry knocked and there was a sudden silence from inside. Then the door opened the tiniest crack and they saw one of Lockhart's eyes peering through it.

"Oh—Mr. and Mrs. Potter—Mr. Weasley—" he said, opening the door a bit wider. "I'm rather busy at the moment—if you would be quick—"

"Professor, we've got some information for you," said Harry. "We think it'll help you."

"Er—well—it's not terribly—" The side of Lockhart's face that they could see looked very uncomfortable. "I mean—"

"Move." Rohini said, pushing the door opened. She had been right: His office had been almost completely stripped.

Two large trunks stood open on the floor. Robes, jade-green, lilac, midnight-blue, had been hastily folded into one of them; books were jumbled untidily into the other. The photographs that had covered the walls were now crammed into boxes on the desk.

"Are you going somewhere?" said Harry coldly.

"Er, well, yes," said Lockhart, ripping a life-size poster of himself from the back of the door as he spoke and starting to roll it up. "Urgent call—unavoidable—got to go—"

"What about my sister?" said Ron jerkily.

"Well, as to that—most unfortunate—" said Lockhart, avoiding their eyes as he wrenched open a drawer and started emptying the contents into a bag. "No one regrets more than I—"

"You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!" said Harry. "You can't go now! Not with all the Dark stuff going on here!"

"Well—I must say—when I took the job—" Lockhart muttered, now piling socks on top of his robes. "nothing in the job description—didn't expect—"

"You coward." Rohini spat, looking down at him. Lockhart didn't even deny it, going back to packing.

"You mean you're running away?" said Harry disbelievingly. "After all that stuff you did in your books—"

"Books can be misleading," said Lockhart delicately.

"You wrote them!" Harry shouted.

"Did he really?" Rohini said, looking at Lockhart suspiciously. "I mean, how could he have done so many great things yet be unable to take care of some silly pixies? Or failed to take care of your broken arm? He wouldn't be able to survive more than five minutes in the wilderness."

"Your sister is wiser than you, my boy," said Lockhart, straightening up and smiling nervously. "No wonder she is a Ravenclaw, just like me."

"Don't compare me to a failure like you." Rohini said, narrowing her eyes dangerously. Lockhart lost his smile and sighed.

"My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things. No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves. He'd look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all. And the witch who banished the Bandon Banshee had a hairy chin. I mean, come on—"

"So you've just been taking credit for what a load of other people have done?" said Ron incredulously. "You're even worse than I thought."

"It's not nearly as simple as that." Lockhart said, offended. "There was work involved. I had to track these people down. Ask them exactly how they managed to do what they did. Then I had to put a Memory Charm on them so they wouldn't remember doing it. If there's one thing I pride myself on, it's my Memory Charms. No, it's been a lot of work, really. It's not all book signings and publicity photos, you know. You want fame, you have to be prepared for a long hard slog."

He banged the lids of his trunks shut and locked them.

"Let's see," he said. "I think that's everything. Yes. Only one thing left."

He pulled out his wand and turned to them but Rohini and Harry had been faster and were pointing theirs at his face.

"Ah." Lockhart said.

"Give me your wand." Rohini said coldly and Lockhart obeyed. She gave it to Ron who threw it by the window. "Now, you come with us."

"What d'you want me to do?" said Lockhart weakly. "I don't know where the Chamber of Secrets is. There's nothing I can do."

"You're in luck," said Harry, forcing Lockhart towards the door at wandpoint. "We think we know where it is. And what's inside it. Let's go." He said, nodding at Rohini to lead them.

They marched Lockhart out of his office and down the nearest stairs, along the dark corridor where the messages shone on the wall, to the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. They sent Lockhart in first. They were pleased to see that he was shaking.

Moaning Myrtle was sitting on the tank of the end toilet.

"Oh, it's you," she said when she saw them. "What do you want this time?"

"Myrtle, when you died, were you looking at a sink?" Rohini asked and Myrtle nodded before pointing at the one in front of her toilet.

Harry and Rohini hurried over to it while Ron kept an eye on Lockhart. Their teacher was standing well back, a look of utter terror on his face.

It looked like an ordinary sink. They examined every inch of it, inside and out, including the pipes below. And then Harry saw it: Scratched on the side of one of the copper taps was a tiny snake.

"Look." He said to Rohini. "A snake."

"Slytherin's symbol." Rohini said, both thrilled and nervous. "Harry, it must be it; it must be the entrance to the Chamber!"

"That tap's never worked," said Myrtle brightly as Harry tried to turn it.

"Harry," said Ron. "Say something. Something in Parseltongue."

"But—" Harry said, unsure. The only times the twins ever managed to speak Parseltongue were when they'd been facing a real snake. "Open up," he said.

He looked at Ron, who shook his head.

"English," he said.

"We need to pretend it's a real one." Rohini said before closing her eyes. She pictured the Boa they saved at the zoo, almost two years ago. She just needed to pretend it was here in front of them, guiding them to the King of Snakes.

"Open up," she said.

At once the tap glowed with a brilliant white light and began to spin. Next second, the sink began to move; the sink, in fact, sank, right out of sight, leaving a large pipe exposed, a pipe wide enough for a man to slide into.

"Well." Rohini said, her voice trembling from her emotional state. "I think we've just find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets."

The four of them stared in silence at the bottomless hole, hoping no beast would come after them before they had the time to find Ginny.

XX

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 **I think it's quite obvious but in case some of you aren't aware of it yet, English isn't my mother tongue. I apology once again for the possible mistakes and hope it doesn't make the story too hard to read. I promise I'm trying to improve!** **  
** **Also, it seems that Returning Home, Finding the Chamber is slowly but surely coming to an end. Wow! I can't believe I'm almost done with the Second Part of Harry Has A Twin!AU**

 **Thanks for those supporting me!**


	17. Chapter 17

Rohini counted to ten and when it was obvious that no Basilisk was coming after them, she turned to Harry.

"I'm going down there," he said.

"Good." Rohini nodded and the twins turned to Ron who gulped loudly before nodding.

"Me too." He said. "I need to protect Ginny."

There was a pause.

"Well, you hardly seem to need me," said Lockhart, with a shadow of his old smile. "I'll just—"

He began to turn away but the boys grabbed him.

"You can go first," Ron snarled.

White-faced and wandless, Lockhart approached the opening.

"Boys," he said, his voice feeble. "Boys, what good will it do?"

"You might break a bone." Rohini said. "Tell us how deep it is."

"I really don't think—" Lockhart started to say, but Rohini gave him a push, and he slid out of sight with a high pitched scream. Less than ten seconds later, they heard a loud "tumb!" and Lockhart saying in a weak voice that he was alive.

Harry followed quickly. He lowered himself slowly into the pipe, then let go. Ron went after him and Rohini took a deep breath before sliding in.

It was like rushing down an endless, slimy, dark slide and Rohini felt quite funny in her stomach. Through the darkness, she thought she saw more pipes branching off in all directions, but none as large as theirs, which twisted and turned, sloping steeply downward.

And then the pipe suddenly levelled out, and she shot out of the end with a wet thud, landing on the damp floor of a dark stone tunnel large enough to stand in.

"Erk." She grimaced when she realised she was lying on rotting dead mice and skeletons. Harry helped her back on her feet.

"We must be miles under the school," he noticed, his voice echoing in the black tunnel.

"Under the lake, probably," said Ron, squinting around at the dark, slimy walls. "That's so Slytherin like."

"Lumos!" Rohini muttered and Harry did the same.

Off they went, their footsteps slapping loudly on the wet floor. The tunnel was so dark that they could only see a little distance ahead. Their shadows on the wet walls looked monstrous in the wandlight.

"Remember," Harry said quietly as they walked cautiously forward, "any sign of movement, close your eyes right away…"

But the tunnel was quiet as the grave except from Lockhart's complains and the animal bones they crushed under their feet.

"Harry—there's something up there—" said Ron hoarsely, grabbing Harry's shoulder. Rohini closed her eyes and listened, but whatever Ron had seen wasn't moving so she opened them again.

They could just see the outline of something huge and curved, lying right across the tunnel.

"Maybe it's asleep," Harry suggested and Rohini waved at him to come with her and check what is was with their wands held high in front of them. Rohini gasped when she realised what it was.

"Apparently, our Basilisk can shed too." She told Ron who was staying behind to keep an eye on Lockhart.

The light slid over a gigantic snake skin, of a vivid, poisonous green, lying curled and empty across the tunnel floor. The creature that had shed it must have been twenty feet long at least. Rohini wondered for the first time how they could possibly defeat such a creature.

There was a sudden movement behind them. Gilderoy Lockhart's knees had given way.

"Get up," said Ron sharply, pointing his wand at Lockhart.

Lockhart got to his feet—then he dived at Ron, knocking him to the ground and stealing his wand with a gleaming smile.

"Crap." Rohini cursed. It looked like even Lockhart could show some smartness sometimes. She shouldn't have underestimated a fellow Ravenclaw so much.

"The adventure ends here, silly you!" he said. "I shall take a bit of this skin back up to the school, tell them I was too late to save the girl, and that you three tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body—say good-bye to your memories!"

He raised Ron's Spellotaped wand high over his head and yelled, "Obliviate!"

The wand exploded with the force of a small bomb. Great chunks of tunnel ceiling came thundering to the floor and Harry pushed Rohini away right in time before a huge chunk fell where she had been standing. Next moment, the two of them were gazing at a solid wall of broken rock.

"Why do we always end up separated from the rest?" Rohini moaned, remembering their face to face with Quirrell and Voldemort last year.

"Ron!" Harry shouted. "Are you okay? Ron!"

"I'm here!" Came Ron's muffled voice from behind the rock-fall. "I'm okay—this git's not, though—he got blasted by the wand—"

"Thanks god he stole your wand." Rohini said. They would have been in troubles if Lockhart had used hers of Harry's.

"What now?" Ron's voice said, sounding desperate. "We can't get through—it'll take ages…"

The twins looked up at the tunnel ceiling.

"The whole tunnel could cave in if we try anything." Rohini said, looking at the large cracks above their heads. "Plus we don't have any time to waste.

"Wait there," Harry called to Ron. "Wait with Lockhart. we'll go on… If we're not back in an hour, go find some help."

"Maybe you could try to call for Myrtle so she could seek some for you." Rohini added.

"See you in a bit," said Harry, trying to inject some confidence into his shaking voice. The twins exchanged a nervous glance and went deeper through the tunnel.

Soon the distant noise of Ron straining to shift the rocks was gone. The tunnel turned and turned again. Every nerve in their body was tingling unpleasantly. Finally a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds signalled the end of the tunnel.

"Well, that's it." Rohini said, a lump in her throat. "Want to give it a try?" She asked Harry who nodded before stepping closer.

" _Open_ ," said Harry, in a low, faint hiss.

The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight as Rohini came closer, feeling her heartbeats getting way too fast.

They were standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place.

"Something tells me Slytherin was really into snakes." Rohini said, faking the confidence she didn't have.

Could the basilisk be lurking in a shadowy corner, behind a pillar? Rohini narrowed her eyes as she thought she saw something at the end of the chamber. Red… It was Ginny's hair!

Ignoring Harry's warning, she ran while shouting Ginny's name, her steps echoing loudly off the shadowy walls. Too focused on her friend, she didn't even see the statue high as the Chamber itself that loomed into view, standing against the back wall. It was a gigantic ancient like and stern face with a long beard and hair like snakes.

Ginny was lying at the bottom of it, motionless.

"Ginny!" Rohini muttered as she dropped to her knees, checking her pulse. "Ginny—don't be dead—please don't be dead—" Ginny's face was white as marble, and as cold. Her pulse was extremely weak.

"Is she alive?" Harry asked as he kneeled next to Rohini. "Ginny, please wake up," Harry muttered desperately, shaking her. Ginny's head lolled hopelessly from side to side.

"She won't wake," said a soft voice.

Harry jumped and spun around on his knees and Rohini froze. She knew that voice for she had heard it a few months ago… But it couldn't be possible, it couldn't be the same, not after fifty years…

Slowly, she turned to look at the newcomer. A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching. He was strangely blurred around the edges, just like a faint memory. But there was no mistaking him.

"Who are you?" Harry asked, confused.

"Tom Riddle." Rohini said, standing up and stepping in front of Harry and Ginny, her hand clenched on her wand.

"But it can't be!" Harry said. "He should look much older!"

Riddle smiled, stepping closer.

"What do you mean, she won't wake?" Rohini asked. "She isn't dead, I felt her pulse."

"She's still alive," said Riddle with a nod. "But only just."

"Are you a ghost?" Harry said uncertainly.

"A memory," said Riddle quietly. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years."

He pointed toward the floor near the statue's beard. Lying open there was the little black diary Rohini had found in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Slowly, Rohini began to realise what it was implying and she closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"You've got to help us, Tom," Harry said, raising Ginny's head again. "We've got to get her out of here. There's a basilisk… I don't know where it is, but it could be along any moment."

"It will not come until it's called." Rohini said. "Until _he_ calls. Am I right, Tom?" She asked, her mind working so hard she felt like she was going to steam soon.

Riddle's smile broadened. Harry looked like he was both confused and slowly understanding the situation. Then, before Rohini could do anything to stop him, Riddle raised Ginny's hand and said:

"Accio wands!"

Rohini's grip hadn't been strong enough to stop her wand from flying away and being caught by Riddle, as well as Harry's one.

"You won't be needing it," Riddle said and Rohini cursed.

Harry stared at him.

"What d'you mean, we won't be—?"

"I've waited a long time for this, Harry Potter," said Riddle, staring at Harry's scar visible through his bangs. "For the chance to see you. To speak to you. I've briefly met your sister, of course." He said, glancing at Rohini who was looking at him with anger in her eyes.

"Well, you've seen him and heard his voice." Rohini said, glancing around before staring at Tom again. "Now, give us our wands back."

"No." said Riddle, still smiling broadly as he put their wands in his pockets.

"How did Ginny get like this?" Harry asked slowly.

"Well, that's an interesting question," said Riddle pleasantly. "And quite a long story. I suppose the real reason Ginny Weasley's like this is because she opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger."

"What are you talking about?" said Harry.

"The diary." Rohini said. "He lives through it. He could read what Ginny wrote, and answer back. You manipulated her, didn't you?" Rohini asked, sounding furious. Riddle chuckled.

"Ginny's been writing in it for months and months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes—how her brothers tease her, how she had to come to school with secondhand robes and books, how"—Riddle's eyes glinted—"how she didn't think famous, good, great Harry Potter would ever like her…"

All the time he spoke, Riddle's eyes never left Harry's scar. There was an almost hungry look in them.

"If I say it myself, I've always been able to charm the people I needed. So Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted… I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring a little of my soul back into her…"

"You filthy-!" Rohini began, wishing she still had her wand. "You used her! You used a lonely eleven years old to do your dirty job!"

"No." Harry whispered, his eyes going from Rohini to Tom. "No, Ginny couldn't have-"

"Yes, Harry Potter." said Riddle softly. "Ginny Weasley opened the Chamber of Secrets. She strangled the school roosters and daubed threatening messages on the walls. She set the Serpent of Slytherin on four Mudbloods, and the Squib's cat."

"No," Harry whispered. Rohini clenched her fists so hard her nails bit her skin, making her bleed.

"Yes," said Riddle, calmly. "Of course, she didn't know what she was doing at first. It was very amusing. I wish you could have seen her new diary entries… far more interesting, they became… Dear Tom," he recited, watching Harry's horrified face, "I think I'm losing my memory. There are rooster feathers all over my robes and I don't know how they got there."

"Dear Tom, I can't remember what I did on the night of Halloween, but a cat was attacked and I've got paint all down my front. Dear Tom, Percy keeps telling me I'm pale and I'm not myself. I think he suspects me… There was another attack today and I don't know where I was. Tom, what am I going to do? I think I'm going mad… I think I'm the one attacking everyone, Tom!"

If it wasn't for Harry who held her back, Rohini would have jump on Riddle and beat the smile out of his face.

"Ah, Rohini Potter." He said, shaking his head. "You've never really trusted me nor what I showed you. I admit I'd rather have my diary picked up by your brother." Riddle said, looking back at Harry. "You, the very person I was most anxious to meet…"

"And why did you want to meet me?" said Harry.

"Well, you see, Ginny told me all about you, Harry," said Riddle. "Your whole fascinating history." His eyes roved over the lightning scar on Harry's forehead, and their expression grew hungrier. Rohini stepped between he and Harry again and Riddle seemed annoyed by it.

"You framed Hagrid, fifty years ago." Rohini said. "Playing the role of the poor sweet boy that had to protect Hogwarts so he would never have to return to the gloomy, lonely Orphanage. And they believed you."

"Only the Transfiguration teacher, Dumbledore, seemed to think Hagrid was innocent. He persuaded Dippet to keep Hagrid and train him as gamekeeper. Yes, I think Dumbledore might have guessed… Dumbledore never seemed to like me as much as the other teachers did…" Riddle admitted.

"I bet Dumbledore saw right through you," said Harry, his teeth gritted.

"Well, he certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after Hagrid was expelled," said Riddle carelessly. "I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school. But I wasn't going to waste those long years I'd spent searching for it. I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages, so that one day, with luck, I would be able to lead another in my footsteps, and finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work."

"You're utterly mad." Rohini said. She kept glancing at Riddle's pockets, wondering how she was going to get her wand back. "Attacking Muggleborns and coming back under such a form to do it again… You're making me sick."

"I have to admit that killing Mudbloods doesn't really matter to me anymore. For many months now, my new target has been—you two. Especially you, Harry Potter."

Harry stared at him. Rohini's breath got louder.

"I had to get you both to come after me. So I made Ginny write her own farewell on the wall and come down here to wait. She struggled and cried and became very boring. But there isn't much life left in her… She put too much into the diary, into me. Enough to let me leave its pages at last… I have been waiting for you to appear since we arrived here. I knew you'd come. I have many questions for you, Harry Potter."

"Like what?" Harry spat, fists still clenched.

"How we survived that night." Rohini breathed, eyes wide opened as she slowly understand the last bit of mystery left. "How you defeated Voldemort."

"Well," said Riddle, smiling pleasantly, "Aren't you a smart little girl? Yes, Harry. I want to know how is it that you—a skinny boy with no extraordinary magical talent—managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"

"Why?" Harry asked, glancing at Rohini who was whispering "Oh no…" while shaking her head in disbelief.

"Voldemort," said Riddle softly, "is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter…"

He waved Ginny's wand and began to trace it through the air, writing three shimmering words:

 _TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE_

Then he waved the wand once, and the letters of his name rearranged themselves:

 _I AM LORD VOLDEMORT_

Rohini looked away as Harry's breath got caught in his lungs.

"It was a name I was already using at Hogwarts, to my most intimate friends only, of course. You think I was going to use my filthy Muggle father's name forever?" Riddle spat with disdain.

"I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, through my mother's side? I, keep the name of a foul, common Muggle, who abandoned me even before I was born, just because he found out his wife was a witch?" Riddle's smile was twisted now, showing his true nature.

"No, of course. I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

"You're not," Harry said, his quiet voice full of hatred.

"Not what?" snapped Riddle.

"Not the greatest sorcerer in the world," said Harry, breathing fast. "Sorry to disappoint you and all that, but the greatest wizard in the world is Albus Dumbledore."

"And sorry to break it up to you, but more and more people dare to say your name, Tom." Rohini said. "Voldemort doesn't sound so scary when you've already been defeated twice by the same twins."

The smile had gone from Riddle's face, to be replaced by a very ugly look.

"Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" he hissed. "And I will make sure that everybody remembers to fear my power!"

"He's not as gone as you might think!" Harry retorted. Riddle opened his mouth, but froze.

Music was coming from somewhere. Riddle whirled around to stare down the empty Chamber. The music was growing louder. It was eerie, spine-tingling, unearthly; it lifted the hair on Rohini's scalp and made her heart feel as though it was swelling to twice its normal size. Then, flames erupted at the top of the nearest pillar.

A crimson bird the size of a swan had appeared, piping its weird music to the vaulted ceiling. It had a glittering golden tail as long as a peacock's and gleaming golden talons, which were gripping a ragged bundle.

"Fawkes!" Rohini said. "It's Dumbledore's Phoenix!" She told Harry.

A second later, the bird was flying straight at them. It dropped the ragged thing it was carrying at his feet, then landed heavily on Harry's shoulder. The bird stopped singing. It sat still and warm next to Harry's cheek, gazing steadily at Riddle.

"A phoenix…" said Riddle, staring shrewdly back at it. "And that—" said Riddle, now eyeing the ragged thing that Fawkes had dropped, "that's the old school Sorting Hat."

So it was. Patched, frayed, and dirty, the hat lay motionless at Rohini's feet.

Riddle began to laugh again. He laughed so hard that the dark Chamber rang with it. Rohini could feel her skin getting covered with goosebumps.

"This is what Dumbledore sends to his defenders! A songbird and an old hat! Do you feel brave, Harry Potter? Do you feel safe now?"

"He is safe as long as I'm alive." Rohini said. It wasn't necessary true, but she refused to let Riddle think he had already won.

"To business, Potters," said Riddle, still smiling broadly. "Twice—in your past, in my future—we have met. And twice I failed to kill you. How did you survive? Tell me everything. The longer you talk," he added softly, "the longer you stay alive."

"The longer we talk, the stronger you become." Rohini pointed out; Riddle's outline was becoming clearer, more solid. If it had to be a fight between them and Riddle, better sooner than later.

"No one knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me," said Harry abruptly. "I don't know myself. But I know why you couldn't kill me. Because my mother died to save us. My common Muggle-born mother," he added, shaking with suppressed rage. "She stopped you killing us. And I've seen the real you, I saw you last year. You're a wreck. You're barely alive. That's where all your power got you. You're in hiding."

Riddle's face contorted. Then he forced it into an awful smile.

"So. Your mother died to save you. Yes, that's a powerful counter-charm. I can see now… there is nothing special about you, after all. it was merely a lucky chance that saved you from me."

Riddle's twisted smile was widening again and Rohini gulped.

"Now, Harry, Rohini, I'm going to teach you a little lesson. Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against the famous Harry and Rohini Potter, and the best weapons Dumbledore can give them…"

He cast an amused eye over Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, then turned to the statue. Riddle opened his mouth wide and hissed:

"S _peak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four_."

"Harry." Rohini said, fear in her voice. "You better get ready to run."

Slytherin's gigantic stone face was moving. Horrorstruck, the twins saw his mouth opening, wider and wider, to make a huge black hole. And something was stirring inside the statue's mouth. Something was slithering up from its depths.

 _The Basilisk_.

"Look away." Rohini barked at Harry as she herself half closed her eyes and stared at her feet.

Something huge hit the stone floor of the Chamber. Then he heard Riddle's hissing voice:

" _Kill them_."

The second after, the twins began to ran.

 **X**

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 **So, the end is near my friends... I think there's either one or two chapter left, but not more. Wow!**


	18. Chapter 18

The basilisk was moving toward them faster than Rohini would have liked; they could hear its heavy body slithering heavily across the wet floor. Harry's eyes were tightly shut and Rohini was the one guiding him by pulling on his sleeve.

They hadn't gone half the length of the chamber than Harry suddenly tripped and fell over Rohini who hissed in pain, a taste of blood in her mouth as she accidentally bit her cheeks. Riddle was laughing, probably thinking he had won.

"Hurry, Harry. Come on, move!" Rohini squealed, sensing the huge snake right behind them.

Suddenly, they heard Fawkes's strident cry coming closer and Rohini saw on the walls the shadow of the Phoenix and the Basilisk fighting each other.

"Come, he's buying us some time!" Rohini said, pulling Harry back on his feet as the two of them began to run through two pillars and into a new set of tunnels.

There was a loud, explosive spitting sound right behind them; the Basilisk was madly hissing, hitting himself against the pillars and marble floor to try and crush Fawkes. Suddenly, the monster shrilled and Rohini couldn't help but glance at the scene from their hiding spot; The enormous serpent, bright, poisonous green, thick as an oak trunk was trashing in pain for his eyes had been punctured by the phoenix; blood was streaming to the floor, and the snake was spitting in agony.

"You can open your eyes, Harry." Rohini said, feeling a bit more hopeful about their chance of survival. "It's blind!"

" _NO_!" They heard Riddle hiss angrily. " _LEAVE THE BIRD! LEAVE THE BIRD! YOU CAN STILL SMELL THEM! KILL THEM_!"

The blinded serpent swayed, confused but still deadly. Fawkes was circling its head, piping his eerie song, jabbing here and there at its scaly nose as the blood poured from its ruined eyes. Harry did the mistake to take a step backward and walked into a puddle of water.

"Run." Rohini said as the snake turned its hideous head towards them. "Run!"

They could hear the Basilisk right behind them, following the echoes of their steps and their loud breathes. Suddenly the tunnel divided into two ends and Rohini went left while Harry went right. She stopped and held her breath, leaning against the wall, as the snake decided to go after Harry who was still running.

When she heard nothing, Rohini imagined the worse and went out of her hiding place, screaming.

" _Hey, you fat slug_!" She said. " _Come over, you lazy worm_!"

The Basilisk hissed and went after her. Hoping he hadn't attacked Harry and her brother was still in one piece, Rohini began to run towards the chamber again. Her lungs were on fire and she felt a sharp pain on her left side. She didn't have much time before the Basilisk would catch up with her, she knew it.

Riddle was still here, looking more real than ever. Rohini silently scream at Ginny to be still alive, to keep fighting, that everything will be ok once she woke up.

Suddenly Harry emerged from another tunnel and soon they were running side by side again.

"What are we going to do?" He asked her, glancing behind and grimacing when he realised the Basilisk was much closer than he thought.

"Trying not to die sounds like a good plan." Rohini wheezed.

"Look!" Harry said, pointing at something shiny in front of them. Coming from the Sorting Hat was what looked like a sword. Harry managed to catch it by the handle while they kept running towards the back of the Chamber.

"We need to climb the statue!" Rohini said, helping Harry by pushing on his feet. "It's the only way you'll be able to use this sword on it efficiently!"

"I don't even know how to use a sword!" Harry grunted as they reached the top of the head. He suddenly screamed and pulled Rohini forwards, right in time before the Basilisk's head came crashing into the same spot. The whole chamber began to tremble and Harry tripped, letting go of the sword who dangerously slid towards the edge.

"No!" Rohini shouted, jumping on it.

" _Kill her_!" Riddle ordered. " _Kill her, now_!"

Rohini stood up and gulped, holding the sword with two hands; it was much heavier than what it looked like. The basilisk's head was falling, its body coiling around as it twisted to face her instead of Harry. Rohini felt a chill running down her spin as she saw the bloody eye sockets, see the mouth stretching wide, wide enough to swallow her whole, lined with fangs long as his sword, thin, glittering, venomous…

' _I need to stab it as soon as it lunged_.' Rohini thought. ' _I need to stab it before we all die and rot here_.'

She tried a few time as the snake attacked her blindly but they both missed.

" _Come, you coward_!" She hissed and the Basilisk lunged again, and this time its aim was true. Rohini threw her whole weight behind the sword and drove it to the hilt into the roof of the serpent's mouth. Cold blood burst out of the wound, drenching her from tips to toes. But before she could enjoy her victory, she felt a searing pain just above her elbow and dropped the sword with a yell. One long, poisonous fang was sinking deeper and deeper into her arm and splintered as the basilisk keeled over sideways and fell, twitching, to the floor where it finally lay, dead.

"NO!" Riddle shouted.

"Rohini, no!" Harry said, grabbing her before she fell off the statue. They slowly found their way down the head, Rohini falling on her knees right next to Riddle's diary, covered in blood and a cold sweat as she began to shake.

Harry gripped the fang that was spreading poison through her body and wrenched it out of her arm. But they both knew it was too late. Rohini couldn't even stand in a sitting position anymore, her whole vision foggy and tears blinding her. The Chamber was dissolving in a whirl of dull color.

"At least it killed one of you." Riddle said as he stood next to Ginny. "Or should I say, two? She's almost gone now and I soon will be alive again."

"Harry…" Rohini called, her voice barely higher than a whisper. "The diary…"

"What?" Harry asked and Rohini pointed at Riddle's journal before nodding at the fang.

"You know what to do…" Rohini mumbled, barely able to keep her eyes opened. Harry's eyes widened in realisation and grabbing the Basilisk's venomous fang, he looked right into Riddle's eyes and as though he had meant to do it all along, Harry plunged it straight into the heart of the book.

There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, streaming over Harry's hands, flooding the floor. Riddle was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing and suddenly, he had gone. The three wands fell to the floor with a clatter and there was silence. Silence except for the steady _drip drip_ of ink still oozing from the diary and from the Basilisk's blood coming from its fatal wound.

Then came a faint moan from the end of the Chamber. Ginny was stirring. She blinked and sat up. Her bemused eyes travelled from the huge form of the dead basilisk to Harry and finally stopped on Rohini in her blood-soaked robes lying next to the diary. She drew a great, shuddering gasp and tears began to pour down her face as she crawled towards them.

"Oh no, no, no!" She said, holding Rohini's hand. "Rohini, please, no!"

A patch of scarlet swam past them as Fawkes landed next to Rohini with a tilt of his beautiful head. Rohini smiled weakly.

"Fawkes," said Harry thickly. "You were fantastic, Fawkes…"

The bird made a strange noise before resting its head on the spot where the serpent's fang had pierced Rohini's arm. Then, to Ginny and Harry's surprise, he began to cry. Rohini smiled weakly at their puzzled expression.

"A phoenix's tears… have healing power…" She explained as they all stared, amazed, as a pearly patch of tears was shining all around the wound which was slowly but surely healing.

The Chamber was coming back into focus and Rohini felt the pain leaving her body. She still felt exhausted and needed Harry's help to sit up. Ginny sobbed and brought them both into a tight embrace, apologising for everything.

"It's ok, Ginny. You're safe now. We all are." Rohini said, her voice quivering from all the emotions she was feeling on this instant. "We're safe. Oh, thanks Merlin, we're safe."

Fawkes was waiting for them, hovering in the Chamber entrance. Harry helped the girls to stand up and with Ginny's help they walked towards the exit while carrying Rohini who still felt weak. They stepped over the motionless coils of the dead basilisk, through the echoing gloom, and back into the tunnel. Harry heard the stone doors close behind them with a soft hiss.

"Nothing will ever come out of this ever again." Rohini said and the two others nodded, relieved. After a few minutes' progress up the dark tunnel, a distant sound of slowly shifting rock reached their ears.

"Ron!" Harry yelled, speeding up. "Ginny's okay! We've got her!"

They heard Ron give a strangled cheer, and they turned the next bend to see his eager face staring through the sizable gap he had managed to make in the rockfall.

"Ginny!" Ron thrust an arm through the gap in the rock to pull her through first. "You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened? How—what—where did that bird come from?"

Fawkes had swooped through the gap after Ginny.

"He's Dumbledore's," said Harry, helping Rohini to pass through the hole.

"Where's Lockhart?" Rohini asked.

"Back there," said Ron, still looking puzzled but jerking his head up the tunnel toward the pipe. "He's in a bad way. Come and see."

Led by Fawkes, whose wide scarlet wings emitted a soft golden glow in the darkness, they walked all the way back to the mouth of the pipe. Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting there, humming placidly to himself.

"His memory's gone," said Ron. "The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us. Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself."

Lockhart peered good-naturedly up at them all.

"Hello," he said. "Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?"

"No," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry.

"He paid the price for his thirst of fame and cowardice." Rohini said, not feeling remotely sorry for him.

Harry bent down and looked up the long, dark pipe.

"Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" he asked Ron who shrugged.

"Maybe…?" Rohini said hesitantly, glancing at Fawkes. "Phoenix are known to be able to carry heavy things, but…"

Fawkes had swooped past Harry and was now fluttering in front of him, his beady eyes bright in the dark. He was waving his long golden tail feathers.

"He looks like he wants you to grab hold…" said Ron, looking perplexed. "I think he's agreeing with your plan. Wicked…"

"Alright," said Harry. He turned quickly to the others. "We've got to hold on to each other. Ginny, grab Ron's hand. Professor Lockhart—"

"He means you," said Ron sharply to Lockhart.

"You hold Ginny's other hand—"

Harry awkwardly passed an arm around Rohini's waist and Ron took hold of the back of his robes and so on. Then Harry reached out and took hold of Fawkes's strangely hot tail feathers and the next second, in a rush of wings, they were flying upward through the pipe. They could hear Lockhart dangling below them, saying, "Amazing! Amazing! This is just like magic!" and before they'd stopped enjoying the odd ride, it was over. All five of them hit the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and as Lockhart straightened his hat, the sink that hid the pipe was sliding back into place.

Myrtle goggled at them.

"You're alive," she said blankly to Harry. "Oh, well… I'd just been thinking… if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet," said Myrtle, blushing silver. Rohini pretended she was coughing to hide her smile. Harry definitely was a popular boy.

"Urgh!" said Ron as they left the bathroom for the dark, deserted corridor outside. "Harry! I think Myrtle's grown fond of you! You've got competition, Ginny!"

But tears were still flooding silently down Ginny's face. Rohini passed an arm around her neck and gently patted her hair.

"Where now?" said Ron, with an anxious look at Ginny. They looked at each other before looking at Fawkes who ended up leading the way, glowing gold along the corridor. They strode after him, and moments later, found themselves outside Professor McGonagall's office.

"Ready?" He asked them.

"Ready." Rohini agreed before pushing the door opened.

Xxx

For a moment there was silence as Harry, Ron, Ginny, Lockhart and Rohini stood in the doorway, covered in muck and slime and blood for Rohini. Then there was a scream and Mrs. Weasley was suddenly hugging Ginny tightly with tears running down her cheeks.

"Ginny, oh dear!" Mr. Weasley wept before kissing his daughter's cheek. Then he looked at Ron, made a strangled noise, and brought him into the family reunion's hug.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Rohini gasped and Harry smiled broadly when he looked at the back of the office. Professor Dumbledore was standing by the mantelpiece, beaming, next to Professor McGonagall, who was taking great, steadying gasps, clutching her chest. Fawkes went whooshing past Harry's ear and settled on Dumbledore's shoulder.

Before the twins could say anything, Mrs. Weasley was hugging them too.

"You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?" She asked, staring at the blood covering Rohini from tips to toes. "Oh dear, are you alright?"

"I think we'd all like to know that," said Professor McGonagall weakly.

Rohini and Harry exchanged a look, trying to figure out who should do the speaking.

"Your turn." Harry said and Rohini nodded. Then she started telling them everything. For nearly a quarter of an hour she spoke into the rapt silence: she told them about hearing the disembodied voice, how she found the diary in the bathroom and met Tom Riddle, how she, Padma and Luna figured out a part of the mystery surrounding the Chamber; how they had guessed that Moaning Myrtle had been the victim, and that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets might be in her bathroom…

"Very well," Professor McGonagall prompted her as she paused to catch her breath, "so you found out where the entrance was—breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add—but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potter?"

Harry decided to tell the rest of the story and told them about Fawkes's timely arrival and about the Sorting Hat giving them the sword. But then he faltered, glancing nervously at Rohini; they had so far avoided mentioning Ginny's role in all of this.

She was standing with her head against Mrs. Weasley's shoulder, and tears were still coursing silently down her cheeks. What if they expelled her? Riddle's diary didn't work anymore and was forgotten in the Chamber… How could they prove it had been he who'd made her do it all?

Instinctively, the twins looked at Dumbledore, who smiled faintly, the firelight glancing off his half-moon spectacles.

"What interests me most," said Dumbledore gently, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania."

"W-what's that?" said Mr. Weasley in a stunned voice. "You-Know-Who? En-enchant Ginny? But Ginny's not… Ginny hasn't been… has she?"

"It was this diary," said Harry quickly. "Voldemort wrote it when he still a student here and he somehow left a part of him inside."

"We forgot it in the chamber tho-" Rohini began before gasping; Dumbledore was smiling, the diary in his hand. How did he do that?

"Brilliant," he said softly. "Of course, Tom was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen." He turned around to the Weasleys, who were looking utterly bewildered.

"Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school… traveled far and wide… sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognizable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here."

"I think he was already wicked during his time at Hogwarts, Professor." Rohini said, blushing and looking away when Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at her.

"I d-didn't know," sobbed Ginny. "I didn't know the diary was e- evil. I found it inside one of the books you got me. I th-thought it might have been a gift from y-you."

"Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away," Dumbledore interrupted in a firm voice. "This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort." He strode over to the door and opened it. "Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up," he added, twinkling kindly down at her.

"You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice—I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment."

"So Hermione's okay!" said Ron brightly.

"There has been no lasting harm done, Ginny," said Dumbledore.

Mrs. Weasley led Ginny out, and Mr. Weasley followed, still looking deeply shaken.

"You know, Minerva," Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully to Professor McGonagall, "I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"

"Right," said Professor McGonagall crisply, also moving to the door. "I'll leave you to deal with the Potters and Weasley, shall I?"

"Certainly," said Dumbledore. Then, to Ron and Harry: "I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules."

Rohini opened her mouth, ready to defend her brother but Dumbledore raise a hand, smiling.

"Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words," Dumbledore went on. "You will both receive Special Awards for Services to the School and—let me see—yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor. And let's not forget our wise Ravenclaws." He said, turning to Rohini who went slightly pink. "Fifty points each will go to Miss Patil and Miss Lovegood for their help. And One hundred more points for your great help, Miss Potter."

"Thank you, Professor." Rohini said.

"But one of us seems to be keeping mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure," Dumbledore added. "Why so modest, Gilderoy?"

Lockhart was standing in a corner of the room, still wearing his vague smile. When Dumbledore addressed him, Lockhart looked over his shoulder to see who he was talking to.

"Professor Dumbledore," Ron said quickly, "there was an accident down in the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart—"

"Am I a professor?" said Lockhart in mild surprise. "Goodness. I expect I was hopeless, was I?"

"He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired," Ron explained quietly to Dumbledore.

"Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver mustache quivering. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy! Would you mind taking Professor Lockhart up to the infirmary, too?" Dumbledore said to Ron. "I'd like a few more words with Harry and Rohini…"

Once alone, Dumbledore pointed at the two chairs in front of the fire.

"Sit down, please." He said, and the twins sat, feeling unaccountably nervous. What was more to be said?

"First of all, I want to thank you both," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling again. "You must have shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you."

He stroked the phoenix, which had fluttered down onto his knee. Rohini smiled softly, knowing perfectly well that she wouldn't be here without the Phoenix's help.

"And so you met Tom Riddle," said Dumbledore thoughtfully. "I imagine he was most interested in you…"

"He did." Rohini nodded. They sat in silence before Harry spoke, looking at his hands.

"Professor… the Sorting Hat told me I'd—I'd have done well in Slytherin. Everyone thought I was Slytherin's heir for a while… because I can speak Parseltongue…"

"You can speak Parseltongue, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly, "because Lord Voldemort—who is the last remaining descendant of Salazar Slytherin—can speak Parseltongue. Unless I'm much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you the night he gave you that scar. Not something he intended to do, I'm sure…"

"Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?" Harry said, thunderstruck.

"It certainly seems so."

"What about me?" Rohini asked, curious. "I mean, I don't have a scar yet I can speak Parseltongue."

"If I am correct," Dumbledore began, "I think that just like your mother's protection, a part of Voldemort might have rippled towards you when he attacked Harry. Though I expect this part to have died while you were under the Basilisk's poison." He assured Rohini.

"Good." She said with a nod before glancing at Harry who was looking gloomy.

"I should be in Slytherin, then." He said, looking desperately into Dumbledore's face. "The Sorting Hat could see Slytherin's power in me, and it—"

"Put you in Gryffindor," said Dumbledore calmly. "Listen to me, Harry. You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students." he added. "Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. You know why that was. Think."

"It only put me in Gryffindor," said Harry in a defeated voice, "because I asked not to go in Slytherin…"

"Exactly," said Dumbledore, beaming once more. "Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." Harry sat motionless in his chair, stunned. "If you want proof, Harry, that you belong in Gryffindor, I suggest you look more closely at this."

Dumbledore reached across to Professor McGonagall's desk and the twins gasped when he picked up the Sorting Hat. How did he get it? Smiling mysteriously, Dumbledore put his hand into it and pulled off the blood-stained silver sword that he handed to Harry. Dully, Harry turned it over, the rubies blazing in the firelight. And then he saw the name engraved just below the hilt.

Godric Gryffindor.

"Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat, Harry," said Dumbledore simply. "Though the sword wasn't picky and still let your sister use it. I suspect it might have been harder for her to use it, though." Dumbledore said and Rohini remembered how heavier it had felt for her while Harry had been able to carry it with one hand only.

For a minute, neither of them spoke. Then Dumbledore pulled open one of the drawers in Professor McGonagall's desk and took out a quill and a bottle of ink.

"What you both need now, is some food and sleep. I suggest you go down to the feast, while I write to Azkaban—we need our gamekeeper back. And I must draft an advertisement for the Daily Prophet, too," he added thoughtfully. "We'll need a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher… Dear me, we do seem to run through them, don't we?"

The twins smiled, finally relaxing. But as they stood up, the door suddenly burst open so violently that it bounced back off the wall.

Coming inside was Lucius Malfoy and to their biggest surprised, he was followed by Dobby the House Elf. That sure wasn't a plot twi

XX

 **xx**

 **Well, looks like there's only one chapter left! It all went so fast, I can't believe it!**

x

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	19. Chapter 19

Lucius Malfoy stood there, fury in his face. Rohini looked at Dobby, cowering behind his legs and heavily wrapped in bandages. The House Elf brought a thin finger to his lips, silently begging the twins to stay quiet.

"Good evening, Lucius," said Dumbledore pleasantly.

Mr. Malfoy swept into the room. Dobby went scurrying in after him, crouching at the hem of his cloak, a look of abject terror on his face.

The elf was carrying a stained rag with which he was attempting to finish cleaning Mr. Malfoy's shoes. Apparently Mr. Malfoy had set out in a great hurry, for not only were his shoes half-polished, but his usually sleek hair was disheveled. Ignoring the elf bobbing apologetically around his ankles, he fixed his cold eyes upon Dumbledore.

"So!" he said "You've come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts."

"Well, you see, Lucius," said Dumbledore, smiling serenely, "the other eleven governors contacted me today. It was something like being caught in a hailstorm of owls, to tell the truth. They'd heard that Arthur Weasley's daughter had been killed and wanted me back here at once. They seemed to think I was the best man for the job after all. Very strange tales they told me, too… Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place."

Mr. Malfoy went even paler than usual, but his eyes were still slits of fury. He then glanced at the twins, his eyes narrowing at Rohini's filthy appearance.

"So—have you stopped the attacks yet?" he sneered. "Have you caught the culprit?"

"We have," said Dumbledore, with a smile. Rohini could tell he was probably enjoying the situation more than he should.

"Well?" said Mr. Malfoy sharply. "Who is it?"

"Voldemort." Rohini said.

"Just like last time." said Dumbledore. "But this time, Voldemort was acting through somebody else. By means of this diary."

He held up the small black book with the large hole through the center, watching Mr. Malfoy closely. Harry, however, was watching Dobby and he slightly elbowed Rohini so she would look at him too.

The elf was doing something very odd; he kept pointing at the diary, then at Mr. Malfoy, and then hitting himself hard on the head with his fist. Rohini felt like a dragon fire had been lit inside of her as she looked back at Malfoy, furious.

"I see…" said Mr. Malfoy slowly to Dumbledore.

"A clever plan," said Dumbledore in a level voice, still staring Mr. Malfoy straight in the eye. "Because if Harry and Rohini here"—Mr. Malfoy shot the twins a swift, sharp look—"and their friend Ron hadn't discovered this book, Ginny Weasley might have taken all the blame. No one would ever have been able to prove she hadn't acted of her own free will…"

Mr. Malfoy said nothing. His face was suddenly masklike.

"And imagine," Dumbledore went on, "what might have happened then… The Weasleys are one of our most prominent pure-blood families. Imagine the effect on Arthur Weasley and his Muggle Protection Act, if his own daughter was discovered attacking and killing Muggle-borns… Very fortunate the diary was discovered, and Riddle's memories wiped from it. Who knows what the consequences might have been otherwise…"

Mr. Malfoy forced himself to speak.

"Very fortunate," he said stiffly.

And still, behind his back, Dobby was pointing, first to the diary, then to Lucius Malfoy, then punching himself in the head but Rohini had already understand.

"Funny." She said. "I think my memory is playing some tricks on me. I think I remember you holding the same kind of old journal and accidentally giving it to Ginny Weasley at the same time as her old Transfiguration book you had previously taken."

Mr. Malfoy's white hands clenched and unclenched. Rohini was pretty sure he was dreaming of his fingers around her neck.

"Prove it," he hissed.

"Oh, no one will be able to do that," said Dumbledore, smiling at the twins. "Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book. On the other hand, I would advise you, Lucius, not to go giving out any more of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any more of them find their way into innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you…"

Lucius Malfoy stood for a moment, and the twins saw how his hand clenched around his cane as if it was his wand. Instead, he turned to his house-elf.

"We're going, Dobby!"

He wrenched open the door and as the elf came hurrying up to him, he kicked him right through it. They could hear Dobby squealing with pain all the way along the corridor.

"Professor Dumbledore," Harry said hurriedly. "Can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?"

Rohini glanced at Harry, confused. Dumbledore on the other hand seemed to understand Harry's plan for he nodded with an enigmatic smile on his face.

"Certainly, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly. "But hurry. The feast, remember…"

Harry grabbed the diary and dashed out of the office, Rohini after him. They could hear Dobby's squeals of pain receding around the corner. Quickly, wondering if this plan could possibly work, Harry took off one of his shoes, pulled off his slimy, filthy sock, and stuffed the diary into it. Rohini, finally understanding, grinned and they both ran down the dark corridor after Malfoy.

They caught up with them at the top of the stairs.

"Mr. Malfoy," Harry gasped, skidding to a halt, "I've got something for you—"

And he forced the diary into Lucius Malfoy's hands who pinched his lips, his eyes glowing dangerously.

"You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Potters." he said softly. "They were meddlesome fools, too."

He threw the diary at Dobby and turned on his heels. Rohini and Harry mouthed at Dobby to open it and the elf did, his eyes wide opened as he saw what was in it.

"Come, Dobby. I said, come."

But Dobby didn't move. He was holding up Harry's disgusting, slimy sock, and looking at it as though it were a priceless treasure.

"Master has given Dobby a sock," said the elf in wonderment. "Master gave it to Dobby."

"What's that?" spat Mr. Malfoy. "What did you say?"

"Got a sock," said Dobby in disbelief. "Dobby—Dobby is free."

Lucius Malfoy stood frozen, staring at the elf. , furious, he took off his wand hidden within his cane.

"You've lost me my servant, boy!" He spat, furious as he pointed his wand at the twins. "Avada-"

But Dobby shouted, "You shall not harm the Potters!"

There was a loud bang, and Mr. Malfoy was thrown backward. He crashed down the stairs, three at a time, landing in a crumpled heap on the landing below. He got up, his face livid. Dobby raised a long, threatening finger.

"You shall go now," he said fiercely, pointing down at Mr. Malfoy. "You shall not touch Harry and Rohini Potter. You shall go now."

Lucius Malfoy had no choice. With a last, incensed stare at the pair of them, he swung his cloak around him and hurried out of sight.

"Harry Potter freed Dobby!" said the elf shrilly, gazing up at Harry, moonlight from the nearest window reflected in his orb-like eyes. "Harry Potter set Dobby free!"

"Least I could do, Dobby," said Harry, grinning.

"Just, promise never to try and save his life again." Rohini said, remembering the flying car and the Quidditch match.

Dobby's brown face split suddenly into a wide, toothy smile.

"Well, we'd better go. There's a feast, and our friend Hermione should be awake by now…" Harry began before Dobby threw his arms around Harry's middle and hugged him.

"Harry Potter is greater by far than Dobby knew!" he sobbed. "Farewell, Harry Potter! And farewell, Miss!" He said, hugging Rohini who hugged him back with a chuckle.

And with a final loud crack, Dobby disappeared. The twins stood up in silence before exchanging a smile.

"Let's go." Rohini said and the two of them ran as fast as they could towards the Great Hall. As soon as they entered, the Great Hall was filled with cheers and applauses.

Everybody was in their pajamas except from the students who had been Petrified and were now sitting among their friends, smiling gratefully at the twins who were now blushing. Padma, Luna and Hermione came running and hugged them tight.

"I thought we'd never see you again." Padma was saying, sobbing happily. "You danger magnet!"

"Thank you." Hermione said, beaming. "I'm glad you figured it out."

"Let's sit." Luna said with a smile, taking Rohini's hand as they all walked to their respective table. The Ravenclaw girl who had been petrified looked at Rohini with a newfound admiration and told her that if she even needed help for her homework, she would gladly help her.

Glancing at the Slytherin table, Rohini realised that some of them looked genuinely happy even though they weren't as loud as the other students. Malfoy wasn't smiling but Rohini thought he seemed more relaxed. She remembered the ripped page that Hermione had been holding and wondered once more if it could have possibly been Malfoy's doing.

Dumbledore arrived and the whole school was cheering again, the Weasley twins dancing happily while shouting "Dumbledore! Dumbledore!"

The jolly atmosphere grew as Professor McGonagall announced that the exams were cancelled (Only Hermione seemed disappointed by it) and Dumbledore stood up, clapping his hands as the gates opened once more to reveal Hagrid.

Rohini stood up and ran towards him as well as Harry, Ron and Hermione and Hagrid hugged them all tightly, his eyes shining as everybody welcomed him loudly. The Gryffindor table was the loudest of them all for Dumbledore announced that thanks to Harry and Ron's four hundred points for Gryffindor, the Lion House won the Cup with Ravenclaw closely behind.

"Can't wait every year." Rohini sighed and Padma assured her they would win again next year.

It was probably one of the most memorable moments of the twins' lives.

Xxx

The rest of the final term passed in a haze of blazing sunshine. Hogwarts was back to normal with only a few, small differences—Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were canceled and, of course, Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor. As for Ginny Weasley, she was perfectly happy again and spent all her free time with Luna, exchanging extravagant theories that they heard from their respective fathers.

Rohini had a few nightmares about what had happen inside the Chamber from time to time, a phantom pain running through her arm. She couldn't help but think about what Dumbledore had said about Harry and she having a part of Voldemort inside them; if the one inside her had been destroyed by the Basilisk's venom, it wasn't the case of Harry and it was something that worried her.

Still, she decided it was for the best not to talk about it and let Harry enjoy their last few days at Hogwarts before returning to the hell that was life at Privet Drive.

Too soon, it was time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny, Luna, Padma and Rohini were somehow able to fit inside a single wagon, almost sitting on each other laps. For the first time, Rohini didn't mind being in such a crowded space.

They made the most of the last few hours in which they were allowed to do magic before the holidays. They played Exploding Snap, chess, set off the very last of Fred and George's Filibuster fireworks, and practiced disarming each other by magic, something the Potter twins and Padma were quite good at.

"Ginny—what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?" Ron suddenly asked.

"Oh, that," said Ginny, giggling. "Well—Percy's got a girlfriend."

Fred and George turned their head so fast Rohini feared they had break their neck.

"What?"

"It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," said Ginny. "That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was—you know—attacked. You won't tease him, will you?" she added anxiously.

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Fred, who was looking like his birthday had come early.

"Definitely not," said George, sniggering.

"Liars." Rohini laughed. "I almost feel sorry for Percy."

The landscape outside changed, from valleys to fields to tiny villages until finally The Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped at King Cross. It took them a while to get out for everybody ran towards the exits at the same time. Rohini and Harry on the other hand took their sweet time.

Harry pulled out his quill and a bit of parchment and turned to Ron and Hermione.

"This is called a telephone number," he told Ron, scribbling it twice, tearing the parchment in two, and handing it to them. "I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer—he'll know. Call me at the Dursleys', okay? I can't stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to…"

"Thanks for forgetting about me." Rohini said, rising an eyebrow. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward the enchanted barrier. "When they hear what you did this year?

"Proud?" said Harry. "Are you crazy? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it? They'll be furious…" He sighed.

Rohini felt someone pull on her sleeve as they finally got through the wall of Platform 9 ¾ . Padma told her to wait here and for a few seconds, Rohini lost her in the crowd before her best friend came back, followed by her parents.

"Dad, Mum, this is Rohini Potter, my best friend." Padma said and Rohini blushed, awkwardly shaking hands with Mr. and Mrs. Patil who smiled at her obvious nervousness.

"Pleasure to meet you." Rohini said.

"The pleasure is ours." Mrs. Patil said. She looked a lot like her daughters, except for the eyes; Mrs. Patil had stunning grey eyes whereas the twins had the same black eyes as their father.

"We've heard a lot about you." Mr. Patil said and Rohini couldn't help but ask:

"Good things, I hope?" Which seems to amuse him. He was going to add something when Rohini heard Uncle Vernon barking her name and telling her to hurry.

"I'm sorry." She apologised, glancing at the Dursleys and Harry, waiting for her. "My Uncle can be a bit…well…" She said and Padma's parents nodded, understanding what she meant. Mrs. Patil took Rohini's hands.

"Knows that you are welcome to visit Padma anytime." She said and Rohini felt a lump in her throat at such kindness. "I'm sure it would please her very much." She added with a smile at her daughter who rolled her eyes. "Oh, here come Parvati!"

"Hi mum, hi dad." Parvati said, hugging them both. "Oh, hello Rohini!"

"Hi Parvati." Rohini said before Aunt Petunia called her with her high pitched voice. "Well, it's time for me to go. Goodbye, and thank you." Rohini said before hugging Padma one last time. "I will see you soon!"

"Goodbye!" Padma said and Rohini smiled at her before walking towards the Dursleys with an evident lack of enthusiasm. She bumped into someone and realised it had been Lucius Malfoy who threw her a nasty glance before disappearing within the crowd.

"Hurry up, girl!" Uncle Vernon said, glancing fearfully around him as if someone was suddenly going to cast a spell at him. Rohini realised he still had a scar from the window she had closed on his fingers, months ago.

Oh well. If she had survived a Basilisk, then surely she could survive one more summer at Private Drive.

And wi

th a hopeful glance at the sky, Rohini properly merged into the Muggle world once more.

 **Notes:** **Wow. Well, this is it. The end of this second part of Harry Has a Twin!AU.**  
 **Thanks for everyone who read it. I'm utterly grateful for that.**  
 **I can't wait to meet you up again in the rest of Harry and Rohini's adventures!**  
 **Lots of love,**  
 **Truc**


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